Adventure 08: Shattered Reign
by lordtrayus
Summary: World War Three continues to rage and the Ultimate Evil is getting closer to achieving victory. While a new enemy threatens from the digital world, it seems as if humanity itself is starting to become a threat as the Digidestined find themselves surrounded and their very existence hanging in the balance as villainous schemes, rising fears and warped devotion threaten them all...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon (or the PSP game would be out over here, and on DS)**

Chapter One

Friend and Foe

"Begin the attack." Came the cold, grating voice of their overlord and with that, the force moved in.

The fortress on the Folder continent had long been empty, and most had presumed it was still that way until his ever alert agents had spotted that the windows were now open, blinds shut, condensation on the windows, all the small signs that pointed to renewed inhabitation. After all, it was the job of his agents to notice such things, and notice they had, and as more and more agents had scouted out the fortress, they had discovered that it was indeed inhabited once more, and what was worse, it was playing host to forces opposed to them.

So naturally, it was a target.

The war hadn't truly begun, not yet. At least not in the way that it could actually be defined as a war. While war raged in the real world, the various forces of the humans trying their hardest to annihilate one another, the war in the digital world was still much more subtle. Few military strikes had been made, the war was still being fought in the shadows. Though the darkness was now spreading, the Dark Area had expanded for the first time in centuries and several former outposts and fortresses near to the Dark Area, long ago designed as lookout posts, had fallen under a shroud of darkness. Yet while this had happened, and there were signs of a few troops, the war itself had no actually begun, the Ultimate Evil and its most deadly servants were yet to be seen. However, its agents were certainly on the move, as they were here, and it was here that the most lethal of the servants of evil was attacking.

The fortress was operational again for some unknown purpose, but this far from the protection of the Sovereigns and the safety of File Island and Server, it was an easy target. Most likely, the inhabitants had thought that placing the site so close to the border would lure the enemy out, and to an extent it had succeeded, only it hadn't lured out the enemy they wanted, it had lured out the most dangerous of its henchman.

Who was now launching a blistering attack on the fortress.

Agents swarmed all around the place, their various forms attacking the fortress, the walls melting away with the presence. The twelve of his most lethal servants, combined with his retainers, flooded through the disintegrating door, emerging into the confines of the fortress as the battle truly commenced. Sharp claws and teeth helped rip apart the defending Troopmon as their leader entered, bringing a chill with him as he did so. His blade made short work of the remaining Troopmon as he swept through the fortress, his forces right behind him.

"Bring it down." He ordered one of the largest of his agents as he beheld the door to the inner sanctum, and with a well placed attack, the door melted into nothing allowing him to enter with his forces.

"Well well well, someone forget to invite me to the Tupperware party. What are you trying to hide from us I wonder?" he asked in a deathly voice as the various inhabitants of the room, all of them young and human looking, dressed in white robes, looked at him in alarm.

"There's nothing here for you." The leader said, strolling forward, his eyes narrowed angrily and the leader of the attacking force smiled maliciously.

"Really Gennai? I think you're lying to me. Because I see what you're making, and can't help but wonder why, if only to exasperate the Ultimate Evil, and by extension myself." He growled icily, and Gennai, in his youthful form, twitched his hand, as if preparing to take the sword from his back.

"We will do what it takes to stop you and your master." Gennai vowed and his opponent laughed, a cold, grating laugh that sucked all warmth out of the air.

"No you won't Gennai. And now, you and yours treachery is plain for us all to see." He purred and Gennai took a step back.

"Treachery is it to try and save the world from the ravages of evil? I don't think so." He said defiantly, drawing his sword with a flourish and the rest of them followed suit, making their foe laugh.

"Quaint. You must realise, you are doomed." He growled, throwing off his cloak and revealing his true form to the air.

"We will see." One of Gennai's clones, Benjamin said stoutly and their foe snorted derisively.

He looked at them all, the Guardians, the creatures elected to help protect the digital world by the spirit that guarded all things. However, the spirit, thought to be the shattered form of the original queen of the gods, the goddess of Light, frequently seemed determined to undo the Ultimate Evil, as evidenced by her creation of these creatures. All but exterminated by Piedmon, only Gennai had escaped, allowing the Digimon of the original eight Digidestined to escape as well and hence scupper many a well laid plan, in fact their actions had all but ensured the continued stagnant reign of the Sovereigns for many more years than they ought to have had. However it was too late now, the Ultimate Evil was on the rise, the long years of planning were bearing fruit at last and this time the Guardians would not stop them, no matter what they were doing here. Not that any but Gennai were true Guardians, he had been forced to clone himself to try and protect the digital world after the human world had learned about it. And it was now all those clones that were marshalling against him.

"Indeed we will. Your extinction is at hand. I will not make Piedmon's mistake: all Guardians must die!" he roared and leapt into action, his supporters also springing into battle behind him.

Phelesmon, laughing evilly, moved first, his long vicious claws ripping open the neck of one of Gennai's clones before he even brought his sword to bear. With blood showering the wall, he quickly turned, ripping open the throats of another two, one of them the one with the Australian accent, Hogan. As the three clones fell to the ground, blood soaking the walls and ground, the battle truly began. Benjamin leapt in front of Gennai, protecting him from the attack of the enemy himself.

"Gennai, go! Take the digi-eggs, you must escape!" he yelled and with a tortured, hesitant look, Gennai ran for it, heading to the large glass cabinet, in which the fruits of their industry were being kept.

"You will not get far Gennai, but run if you wish. I enjoy a good chase." Their enemy whispered in a menacing voice before he decapitated Benjamin.

The battle was raging all around them, the fifty or so clones of Gennai marshalling to the defence of the compound as Gennai tried to make his escape. Agents swarmed around, obliterating the clones into nothing as his troops battled the clones, their swords no match against the threat that was at hand.

"Demon Shout!" Phelesmon roared, knocking several Guardians back before a cry rent the air.

"Terra Blade!"

Two black swords then cleaved four Guardians in half as the battle raged all around them, their master hot on the tail of Gennai who was trying to flee. A squawk echoed through the room as the others surged inwards, their attacks blasting through the ranks of the Guardians.

"Positron Pulse!"

Three Guardians were disintegrated by the attack as they ripped through the defences of the Guardians, however, the group, much smaller than it had been, came together in a tight cluster, their swords beginning to deflect the attacks of their assailants. One of them however, the Mexican version of Jose, ran forward, determined to end the threat of one of their attackers once and for all before he was crushed under the rampaging hooves of another attacker.

"Thunder Stomp!"

The attacker then sprang to another Guardian, crushing him too. A group of four had been isolated from the others, making them easy bait as a white tail swung at them, clutching a lethal instrument, a hissing noise chilling them to the marrow before they were all slashed to pieces with the words

"Venom Axe!"

A howl then rent the air as their leader's faithful pet entered the battle, his jaws clamping on the throat of another Guardian, spitting it out with a satisfied roar, before growling menacingly at another Guardian who had been separated.

"Emerald Blaze!"

A group of six, angered by the losses they had so easily sustained, gave a rallying war cry, their swords brandished as they ran towards Phelesmon, but as the devil like Digimon smirked at them he simply moved aside to allow them to look their deaths straight in the eye.

"Horn of Desolation!"

The energy blast wiped them from the face of the earth as the defeated Guardians started to run for the doors, going the same way Gennai and his pursuer had went. However as the first of them reached the door and ran up the narrow corridor, there was then a great bellow as the massive form of another attack burst through the wall, trampling three of them as they tried to make good their escape. A long staff then punched through two more Guardians, dropping their lifeless husks to the ground as the owner leapt to the top of the effective battering ram, laughing in malicious enjoyment. A large green dragon then blasted through the wall, consuming the Russian clone Ilya.

The remaining twenty clones, looking at each other in abject terror, realised they were surrounded and came together in a tight formation, their swords raised defensively. However, they were no match for their foes. A vicious roar filled the room, forcing four of them to look in the direction the roar came from.

"Armoured Tiger Tail!"

And with that, the four of them were hewn into thirds with a lethal metal flash. A large howl and grinning smile signalled the demise of two more them, as the owner of said smile ripped another three apart with his sharp claws.

"Flaming Arrowheads!"

The Guardians cried out in pain as all of them were punctured by lethal flaming projectiles before the white and gold clad form of another wiped three more from existence. The last eight, abandoning all pretence, made for the window, as if that would be their salvation, but two more dropped in front of them, cutting off their escape.

"Arm Bomber!"

"Primal Orb!"

Their two attacks destroyed three each, leaving only two of them, who went back to back as Phelesmon, laughing mockingly, approached them. Jackie, the Chinese version took a deep breath and ran at him, the other clone right behind him, both their swords moving to take Phelesmon's head. Phelesmon, laughing maniacally, simply twirled on the spot, his lethal nails ripping open the throat of the other clone and leaving Jackie all alone.

Jackie looked around in shock. Sixty of them, their had been sixty of them all together, all of them cut from Gennai, cloned from him. And now only he, and hopefully Gennai, was left. The attack had been brutal, efficient and bloody. Blood stained the floors and walls, the bodies of those not deleted sporting various wounds from the attack. Blood had geysered up the walls, slumped bodies laid where they had fallen, dismembered limbs dotted the ground, and gruesome wounds marked those who had been crushed, bone and shredded cartilage marking puddles where they had all been crushed. Jackie looked at a cackling Phelesmon and fought down a shiver.

They had failed. The war had begun and the Guardians were the first casualty. All of them wiped out in one fell swoop, for Jackie had no doubt he too was about to be murdered.

"You put up a brave fight, but it was ultimately futile." Phelesmon said conversationally and Jackie looked around the room in sickened disgust, seeing the murdered forms of his brethren.

"Death is coming for everyone and everything." He whispered to himself, and Phelesmon nodded.

"Indeed it is. Your rule has failed. The Sovereigns time is over. The Ultimate Evil is ascendant, and we will triumph. And no matter what you do, your vaunted Digidestined will lose this war. You can scurry around trying to find the final members of the Eighteen if you wish. It will do you no good, for their destiny is set, and they too shall fall. His granddaughters have seen it, and you know they are never wrong, death will come to the Eighteen. As you say, death is coming for everyone and everything. Including you. Black Statue!"

Jackie was then transformed into a black rock, and with a wicked kick, Phelesmon destroyed the last of the Guardians with a well placed kick, to the laughter of all others present.

Up on the roof, a death defying duel was going on as the assailant and Gennai went at it, the blade of the assailant easily deflecting Gennai's panic driven attacks. Gennai knew he was now all alone in the world. He had felt the deaths of every one of his clones as if it was his own, and he knew that now he was alone, facing this great threat without any help available. The Sovereigns were too far away, the allies also on File Island and unable to help. The Digidestined, ostracised from the Sovereign as they were, were in the other world and of now use to anyone. And the Royal Knights had their own part to play and hence could not help him. No, he was on his own and facing one of the most lethal Digimon in the digital world.

He lunged, his sword coming in high to try and flank his attacker, but his foe was much too wily for that, easily blocking the attack. His attacker then unleashed a relentless offensive against him, blade singing and flashing in the night as the moon glinted off the blood stained blade, before Gennai managed to lock their blades.

"You will not succeed!" Gennai vowed, grunting with the effort of keeping both their blades stationary, and his attacker laughed darkly.

"On the contrary Gennai, we will. My granddaughters have foreseen it. The future is written, the darkness is falling, and soon now you, your Sovereign and your vaunted Eighteen will be no more. The end time has come. Blood will be spilled within the Eighteen, the Sovereign will be destroyed and both worlds will fall to us. And you can do nothing to stop it." He informed him, before twirling out of the lock and slashing downwards, right through Gennai's shoulder.

Blood then spurted on his face as Gennai screamed in pain, his right arm and sword dropping to the ground as he collapsed beside them, desperately calling on his power to banish the items they had created but his attacker got there first, seizing the bag and stamping on Gennai's wrist, breaking the bone. Gennai, his breathing shaking, his shoulder gushing blood, his eyes drawn to his lifeless arm, looked up at his opponent, who opened the bag and chuckled darkly.

"Really, this is what you were building? This is your last defence against us? Don't make me laugh! You really think new armour forms will help save the Eighteen?" he asked, turning the bag upside down and allowing the digi-eggs of Loyalty, Compassion, Wisdom, Trust, Understanding, Thoughtfulness, Faith and Kindness to clatter to the ground.

"Anything we can take to end you, we will." Gennai said defiantly, his face very pale and his red eyed opponent cackled evilly, his glowing red eyes boring into him as he approached slowly.

"You are a fool Gennai, and you and your friends will lose everything." He promised darkly, patting Gennai's head and Gennai glared up at him.

"What are you waiting for? Kill me!" he challenged and the evil Digimon chuckled.

"No my good friend. Your death will come in time. But before that, you are going to tell me everything. And there's no time like the present, is there?" he whispered in a cold, deadly voice, and he sent a stream of foul fire into his amputated arm, making Gennai's screams split the night air.

XX

"Lopmon digivolve to...Turuiemon!"

Mara swore as Drimogemon, who had appeared right in the middle of the motorway in broad daylight (to the disgust of the Prime Minister, the travel authorities, the commuters and the road workers) leapt off the side of the motorway, charging down an alley beneath them.

"Sorry mom, I'll be back soon!" Mara called, her red hair glinting as she and her partner vaulted over the edge, dropping down into the alleyway and pursuing the Digimon.

This was getting ridiculous. For the last eighteen months, ever since they defeated Daemon basically, Digimon had been appearing in the real world, right in the middle of town. From what limited information Izzy, Sam and Yolei had been able to gather, the barrier between the worlds had been warped by some unknown force, and as such any Digimon out for a casual stroll in the digital world ran the risk of emerging into their world, which of course led them to panic and start attacking the bloody place.

But, if the situation was just that, Digimon emerging and causing havoc before they could shunt them back, they could cope with it. However, that was far from the case.

Digimon had been appearing frequently for the last eighteen months, however by the time any member of the Eighteen got to them, the Digimon had usually vanished into thin air. The Digimon that were strolling through were vanishing as soon as they reached the real world, and it was driving the Eighteen nuts. This was the third time she had seen a Digimon, last time there had been a Devidramon which had disappeared into thin air and the time before that a Gesomon had vanished mysteriously. None of them had any idea what was going on. All of them but Tai (who had decided for the sake of his sanity and to stop Hawong nagging him that the others were all going nuts and seeing things) had encountered at least two Digimon, which had vanished as soon as they were pursued. It was incredibly bizarre and frustrating, and she didn't like it one little bit.

It wasn't as if the Eighteen didn't have enough on their plates without worrying about vanishing Digimon. The war had been raging for a year and a half now and it showed no signs of stopping, so they were busy with that of course as it seemed to be a favourite habit of the Chinese, the Mexicans, the North Koreans and the Russians to attack Japan when they got bored. As a result, the Eighteen frequently had to defend the country from enemy attack, which nowadays only served to strain already tense relations between the lot of them to breaking point. They were still two members of the Eighteen short, which was causing them no end of frustration and also meant they couldn't reach their full level of power until they found them, but with the war raging and all leads turning up blank, they were all incredibly annoyed about their lack of progress in that regard. And as a result of their lack of progress, their own irritating nature and Tai and the rest of the leadership's increasing reluctance to cooperate with the increasingly belligerent Sovereigns, their relations with the digital world were strained. While before Azulongmon had virtually been alone in his disdain for the Digidestined, their relationship had now degenerated to such a degree that if any Sovereign should try to talk to them it automatically raised the hackles of the Digidestined, and vice versa. As a result, Cannondramon, BlackWarGreymon and SaberLeomon, who all had their own problems to be getting on with, were now basically intermediaries between the two factions and had frequently been baked in the crossfire last time they had nearly come to blows, which had been caused by the Sovereigns not telling the Digidestined that they had found the two missing crests and Relics, those of Faith and Perseverance. Along with their frosty relationship with the Sovereigns, their relations in the real world were strained almost to the breaking point.

While things had certainly improved with the prime minister, to the degree that Tai and Matt, their two leaders now had an equal vote to the generals on the war council meetings and the prime minister treated them with friendship other than disdain (other than Rana but both of them had accepted the previous year that they were never going to like one another), there were still plenty of people in the world and in Japan itself who despised the Eighteen, and blamed them for starting the war. True, the battle that had coincided with Daemon's final assault had won them a lot of goodwill but there were still a few people, either those who hated them that much, lazy people with nothing else to do or annoying people wanting to make a nuisance of themselves who still made their presence and dislike known with graffiti, vandalism and taunts in the street. Combined with that lot, the police, who due to the nature of their role in home defence the Eighteen had to work with fairly frequently were also split on how to perceive the Digidestined, and the commissioner himself loathed them, believing them nothing more than contributors to anarchy. Several prominent Diet members also made their dislike for them known, a fact that gathered them many supporters in the populace, a populace that had several factions that were growing more and more opposed to the Digidestined presence within Japan, despite their presence being all that kept Japan from falling to the enemy. The various aspects of the populace all striving against the Digidestined was straining the group's overall unity.

A unity which was already on dubious ground. The war was brining up a lot of their problems and it was affecting their unity to a subtle but significant degree. While the couples were all coping fairly well it was overall group unity that was being threatened. Tai, being the leader had been forced to take many a difficult decision, which had had a negative impact upon his command style. While he had always been a strong leader, he had once ruled by consensus, listening to the advice and opinions of all the other kids. However, with the war still dragging on, and the fate of the people he cared about and the country often depending on his calls, he had become a lot more authoritarian of late. Gone were the days of general consensus, while he wasn't making all the decisions he was certainly making a good many of them without referring to the overall group, only relying on the rest of the original eight to act as his counsel. While they were all happy for Tai to be their overall leader, his authoritarian position, and the fact that he wasn't listening as much to the other leaders was causing strained relations with both Davis' group and Rana's group, and while it wasn't bad enough to cause a schism yet, there was the potential for it to turn into that. That fate was made all the more likely by the fact that Davis seemed to be determined to do things his way. Rankling under Tai's command and wanting to prove himself due to his being sidelined by Tai, Davis was wanting to take a more active role in the command of the Eighteen, a fact that the majority of the original eight (and the ones Tai listened to most) were opposed to, believing he wasn't ready to take on such a job. While Davis only wanted to make his own identity, Tai saw it as nothing more than rebellion which was causing a small undercurrent of tension within the group.

Along with the difference in Tai and Davis, Cody and Yolei were sending up flags for all the wrong reasons, which were actually the right reasons. Both of them hated the war, hated the violence and above all hated the killing. While the others did agree with this, in fact given their way they wouldn't kill anyone, the fact that they were at war necessitated it, and Cody and Yolei's reluctance to kill was getting stronger by the day and could endanger them all if it went too far. Part of the problem was they were being tarred with the brush they had developed back when Daemon had first attacked, the two of them hadn't wanted to destroy LadyDevimon, SkullSatamon or MarineDevimon despite the threat they posed, and that was causing problems within the group for they feared that if push came to shove they wouldn't do what had to be done and endanger them all. It was unfair, but tensions were running high.

All in all, the group wasn't quite as happy as it should be, though not nearly as stressed as it had been the year before when Daemon had arrived, or as they had apparently been when Ghoulmon attacked. However the undercurrents of tension were growing and there was a great fear that it could blow up in all of their faces if they weren't careful.

"He went down here I'm sure of it!" Turuiemon said as they galloped down the alleyway, and Mara grinned as they did so.

"We've got him this time Turuiemon, there's no way out of this...alley?" she asked, looking around as they arrived.

There was no sign of him. He had vanished completely. She looked up and down the buildings, all around the ground and found nothing, and even her digivice didn't give any indication as to where the hell he had gone to.

"Did he go underground?" Turuiemon asked in confusion, but Mara shook her head.

"He can't have done, he would have left a hole. Where the hell are these Digimon vanishing too, it just doesn't make any sense! How can they be here one minute and vanish the next?" she demanded and her rabbit like companion shrugged.

"Maybe they go back to the digital world?" she suggested though her tone of voice showed she didn't believe it anymore than Mara did.

"Doubt it. Something weird is going on Turuiemon, and I don't like it one little bit. Come on, let's get back to mom and dad then we can call Izzy and see if he has any more ideas, because I'm beginning to worry Tai's right and we really are all just nuts." She said, scowling darkly as Turuiemon returned to Lopmon and the two of them, after giving the suspiciously empty alleyway a last look, headed away.

On top of the building at the end of the alleyway, a young man stood, his brow furrowed. He was dressed in a grey battle suit, with a shoulder plate on one side. A red robe was around his waist and he had a red scarf around his neck. He had brown spiky hair and there was a gauntlet on one of his arms. And mounted on the gauntlet was the D-Tainer, where a very angry Drimogemon now resided, brandishing his fists at his unexpected captors.

"I still don't see why we don't talk to them Ryo, we're all on the same side." His partner, a purple dragon by the name of Monodramon said impatiently and Ryo sighed.

"Because Kanalaka thinks they're a threat, and because I've not seen enough that convinces me they aren't. Come on, let's get back to base so we can send Drimogemon home." Ryo said, watching curiously as Mara strolled away.

He didn't want to believe they were a threat, in fact he didn't truly believe it, he was just being cautious. But if they were, he only hoped his group had it in them to stop them.

XX

"You are sure that this plan of yours will work Kanalaka?" came the voice of his Russian superior, the one of the two that he preferred, and cursed the fact that he would need to have the exact same conversation with his other boss after he finished this call.

"Yes sir, I've assembled enough Digimon that I'll soon be ready to make my move." He assured him, and the Russian Foreign Minister glowered at him.

"You had better hurry Kanalaka, this has taken too long as it is. You promised us Japan and we are still waiting." He said angrily and Kanalaka bowed his head respectively.

"You need only wait a little longer sir." He promised and the foreign minister scoffed.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. You still haven't told me how you plan to deal with the forces of the Eighteen." He challenged and Kanalaka smiled.

"I assure you they will be dealt with sir, I have a plan that will deal with them in preparation for the arrival of your forces." He said and the foreign minister nodded.

"Be sure that it does." He said before cutting the video and Kanalaka exhaled, rubbing his temples. Plotting to take over your own country was stressful, particularly with the Russians involved. However, out of the two, they were the least amount of trouble, at least the Russians, and the agent they had sent, were fairly useful, and would support him when the time came. The Chinese weren't nearly so helpful and their agent was about as much help as he got.

Kanalaka sighed. Ever since he had seen what was happening, that Hawong was behind the rising tensions that had led to the war, he had offered his services to the Chinese. However, after their initial attacks on Japan had shown that they were just as inept as Hawong was, he had also offered his services to the Russians, he didn't care who we worked with (with, not for, he was adamant on that), provided they helped stop Hawong. However, since his miscalculation with the Digidestined, he'd had to scale his plans back, but now, his plans were nearly complete. For the last eighteen months, he had with the help and funding of the Chinese and the Russians, been preparing to make his move. Hawong had to be toppled, he had to be stopped if Japan was to survive. However, while he was determined to topple Hawong and save the country, the Eighteen made that rather difficult. While he had hoped that they would be his natural allies in toppling Hawong, they didn't have the courage to work with him, and had now become little more than enforcers of his will, so as his Russian master said, he had to have a plan to deal with them.

And then the answer had fallen into his lap. He had emerged from his office to find Ryo Akiyama, the son of the defence secretary waiting for him, complete with his Digimon. Kanalaka had been delighted to discover that there were other Digidestined in Japan other than the Eighteen, and he had acted quickly, recruiting them for his own purposes. Promising them he would keep them from Hawong, he had easily learned their trust, allowing the children under his command to carry out much the same role as the Eighteen carried out. Now with a force that could conceivably hold off the Eighteen, he had the basis of an army. And that was just the beginning of his plans. With the allegiance of his own Digidestined force, Kanalaka had moved on to what had always been his plan B, uniting with the secret government facility known as Hypnos. Set up after the worldwide darkness caused by MaloMyotismon five years before, the facility had been looking for a way to rid the world of the Digimon problem forever. Led by Mitsuo Yamaki, the shadowy organisation had been looking for a way to stop the Digimon once and for all before they posed a further threat to humanity. That had changed when Kanalaka gave Yamaki his information. Acting upon information confirmed by two different and interested sources, one of them being Ryo and his group, he had told Yamaki the truth: something had happened in the digital world, shattering the thickness of the barriers between the worlds. With the barrier between this world and the next now violated irreparably, Hypnos had two options: adapt or be overwhelmed. As such, working with Kanalaka, Hypnos had changed. Rather than trying to find a way to destroy the Digimon forever, they had begun to combine their purposes: make the Digimon who entered from the digital world work for them, while figuring out how to turn them on the very world that had spawned them. With the backing and genius of Hypnos, and the power of Ryo's group, Kanalaka was well on his way to achieving his goals.

But his true weapon was what was currently sitting on the desk, watching him intently. The greatest ally he had found, he had been responsible for finding the others of his kind and was an invaluable aid to Kanalaka, Hypnos and their plans.

His Digimon partner Syakomon.

"Something's coming." He said softly, looking at his partner and Kanalaka frowned.

"Something? What kind of something, does it affect us?" he asked and the shell like Digimon moved its body up slightly, his equivalent of a shrug.

"I don't know I can just feel it." He said and Kanalaka smiled.

"Don't worry my fine little friend. Everything will turn out just the way we want it to." He said, picking up the black and grey digivice from the desk and mulling it over in his hand with a sinister grin on his face.

Yes Syakomon was his partner, but his partnership wasn't like the one between the Eighteen or any of Ryo's group and their Digimon. After all, he wasn't completely honest with his Digimon, and didn't take him everywhere. His little friend didn't need to know what went on behind closed doors, or just what Hypnos was truly doing for him, or the real reason he needed Ryo's group. Just like Hypnos didn't need to know just why they were doing what they were doing, why Yamaki didn't need to know why he'd given him a Digimon and just like Ryo didn't need to know about Hypnos, what was going on in the basement of their headquarters and just why Kanalaka had been so keen to take him on.

In the end it all came down to what Kanalaka knew, and how much he wanted others to know, which wasn't much. Indeed, Kanalaka knew that above all else there was one undeniable truth:

Japan would soon be his.

XX

"And once again my friends we see the Digimon for what they truly are: savage monsters!" Isaac yelled to cheers from the crowd in the packed church hall.

Today's news, other than that about the war had been filled with the news that a nest of Dokugumon had set up shop on the Golden Gate Bridge, causing all sorts of chaos in the state of California as the spiders set up shop. Once again it was an example of the foul creatures, the Digimon, entering their world and causing havoc. Not only were the beasts filthy, degenerate abominations, most of them were malicious killers or skilled manipulators, out to take the real world for their own.

Isaac was not in a mind to let them.

While his faction had started growing slowly with the start of the war, over the course of the last year and a half, the entire thing had taken off. Claiming that the Digimon were dangerous abominations that ought to be hunted down and exterminated, he had gained many followers from across the country, people who either agreed with him on a basic level (after all it was these beasts that created the war), on a religious level (the Digimon weren't created by god, they are abominations that mock their faith) and the worried parents (the foul creatures got close to their children, turning them against their parents and convincing them that they are their friends in order to further their own ends). Now, Isaac had over one thousand supporters, all of them demanding the same thing: that the Digimon, the ones belonging to the Eighteen in particular, be rounded up an exterminated. Especially now that a way existed to do it.

About nine months ago, the Russians had sponsored a mercenary invasion of an American research facility in Hawaii. Once there, they had discovered plans for the DDR, the Data Deletion Rifle. Created through some complicated process, no one knew why the Russians had even bothered to steal the design in the first place, until a Mammothmon went rampaging through Moscow. The Digimon had slipped through from the other world and had caused widespread destruction when the home guard, armed with these rifles, fired their orange beams into the elephant, making the Digimon burst into data, permanently destroyed.

The DDR rifles were created with one purpose: the destruction of Digimon. News spread like wildfire, and though some governments, such as Britain and Canada, had criticised the creation of a genocidal weapon, every other country had immediately placed orders with either America or Russia in order to buy the weapons so that they could destroy the Digimon that threatened their world. That was how many countries, France and Russia being the most prominent examples, had dealt with the invasions of various Digimon. A Digimon slipped through into the real world, it was put down like the savage beast it was, no questions asked.

Isaac's group, called Citizens Against Digimon, or CAD for short, had been growing exponentially for the last eighteen months. His closest allies were parents of the young and impressionable. With various press campaigns by the government trying to convince people that the Digimon on their side were harmless, the youth of today were convinced that Digimon were cool, and every one of his supporters believed it was only a matter of time before their child found one of the disgusting animals and decided it was a friend for life. Isaac himself knew this pain personally. He and his closest deputy, Satoe, were losing their children to the Digimon. Two of the most high profile Digimon, Candlemon and Palmon, had gotten their claws well and truly into their children, Sam and Mimi, turning them against their parents, making them associate with only a small group of people, taking their children away from them and manipulating them, turning them into weapons and getting them involved in a war that they had no part of. Isaac and Satoe had tried many times to reason with their daughters, to make them see sense and abandon the Digimon, but the Digimon were smart, they had their claws in deep and wouldn't give up without a fight, and as a result both children, and their friends, were furious with their parents, but they were determined to make their children see sense.

However, being a priest he also had the support of a few religious people. While most of his supporters were frightened parents of children of various ages, who were dwarfed by the size of the group of people who just hated the Digimon and the Digidestined on principle, blaming them for the war, for the deaths of loved ones and for breathing basically, he had a small but powerful group of people like himself, those who found the Digimon as abhorrent abominations who ought to be destroyed because they were not of this earth. That group, who despised the ones that dared assume the forms of angels most of all, were a small but potent force within CAD, which was gaining in strength, power and size the longer the war went on.

However, today the various sects within the CAD didn't matter. It didn't matter if you feared what the Digimon would do to your children, if you hated the Digidestined and the Digimon for what they had done to the world or if you hated the abominations that dared to assume they were living creatures, today they were here to hear their leader talk, to hear his views and his calls for action.

"These monsters aren't wanted here! They come here, preying on the loneliness and insecurities of our children, taking them from our families and turning them against us! Do they think we want these savage beasts ripping apart our world? These things have done nothing but bring misery and destruction to our world, and its only getting worse! Look at what's going on in the world! These Dokugumon on the Golden Gate Bridge, Tyrannomon in the pyramids, Monochromon rampaging around the Acropolis and worst of all, Vilemon on the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro!" he bellowed, to the shouts and cries of fury, disgust and outrage that filled the hall.

"These creatures are invading all over the world, spreading like a plague yet people do nothing! I don't agree with the French approach to the crisis that threatens our existence, after all, the children are young and impressionable, they aren't to blame! However, they are right about one thing! The Digimon must be exterminated! These things are determined to pollute our world, warp our children and destroy our way of life. We must not let them! We must take action! These beasts would take our world from us, we must fight to keep it from them!" he roared to further roars and nods of approval.

"We need to take action, we can not stop until these monsters are put down. Death is the only way to end their threat. Our children have been turned against us, but we know what is best for them, and I say to you that we will not be cowed by these animals, we will rise above them, free our children from their grasp and crush these monsters once and for all! Who's with me?" he yelled and the entire hall erupted in cheers once again.

Destruction was all these Digimon knew. That was all they would respond to. Destroying them would be the only way to ensure that their society, their civilisation endured. And above all else, destroying them would be the only way to ensure that their children came to their senses and came back to their parents where they belonged.

And Isaac would not rest until Samantha saw the light and came back home, without the benefit of her pet abomination.

XX

World War Three continued to rage, just as it had done for the last year and a half. Battles were fought daily, victories won and losses endured. Millions were dead across the world, war measures had taken hold across the globe and there was still no sign of the end of the conflict. More and more troops were required to continue the war every day as more and more troops were killed in the field. The devastation wrought by the war was nearly as bad as the last world war, with bombings, Digimon attacks and terrorism taking hold and making its presence felt across the world. Neutral countries grew fat off the profits of war, other countries spiralled further into debt and bloody anarchy as the fight continued, supplies were short, revolutions had come and gone and there was still no indications of victory on either side. The two sides were trapped in stalemate, the war was going nowhere, and all it was succeeding in doing was dragging out and getting more people killed.

Which was exactly what the Ultimate Evil wanted of course.

The allied war effort continued. Led by a joint coalition of America, Britain, Australia, Japan and Brazil, the allied forces responsible for prosecuting the war continued to battle across the world, all of them leading their various allies in the charge against the enemy powers. To that end, other countries had now joined the allied war effort, adding their considerable forces to the allied command.

Iceland had entered the war, forsaking its neutrality. When the French assassinated an ambassador who was visiting Britain for purely economic purposes (they were talking about war time supply, and being neutral Iceland supplied both sides), Iceland had been furious. Finding out (somewhat suspiciously, a few sceptics suspected the involvement of British intelligence) that France had always intended to assassinate the minister, Iceland, furious at their actions, had joined forces with Britain and the rest of its allies, sending their considerable forces to aid in the war with France.

Following Iceland's lead, and after the Russians ill advised but successful invasion of Finland, the rest of the NNL (Northern Neutral League) had also taken up arms against the enemy powers. Norway, Sweden and Denmark had all joined forces with the allies, making the enemy victory in Finland seem rather feeble a prize when all it did was bring three tense, angry and individually powerful nations into the war, especially when it was against them.

The war had also changed for the allies in Africa. Eventually succumbing to political pressure, Lesotho had joined the war effort, following the example of its larger South African neighbour. Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon had entered the war, forsaking their laissez faire approach in order to stop the civil war in the Central African Republic from spilling into their territory. Acting pre-emptively, they had joined the allies for fear that the civil war in their near neighbour would spread, giving the allies in Africa a much needed boost to morale and resources. Kenya, purely to give themselves the added assurance of having armed troops on their border with a justified reason, had also entered the war, but remained relatively uncommitted, not committing any troops to the war rather keeping troops from the surrounding countries out. Also joining the allies were Sierra Leone and Liberia, both of which had been in economic trouble, so in exchange for their help in the war, they too had joined the allies.

The Middle Eastern theatre remained stubbornly unchanged from what it had been at the start of the war, to the disdain of the two sides in the conflict.

The Asian theatre had undergone some changes. Following a successful offensive by Vietnam and Thailand, Malaysia had fallen in a long gruelling battle. Impressed with the tactics and skill of the two allies, Cambodia had then entered the war on the allied side, and had been joined by Laos within a few weeks, all of them contributing to the garrison of Malaysia.

The South American theatre had also changed, with Brazil taking the French Guinea in a decisive victory.

However, while the allies had made some progress, there had also been considerable setbacks in numerous fields. The Middle East remained neutral, and some more African countries, which had originally not wanted to become involved in the war at all, had also declared neutrality. Niger and Chad had joined the ranks of the neutral countries, and they were not the only ones that had done so. Azerbaijan had also declared neutrality, in an effort not to get roped into the war by Russia. Uruguay had also become neutral over the last eighteen months. Nepal and Bhutan by mutual agreement had also declared neutrality for the duration of the conflict.

The neutral fortunes of the war did not match those of the allied enemy nations. A vast coalition, led by two of the strongest nations in the world, China and Russia, they also saw France as a natural ally and between the three countries were prosecuting a rather successful campaign against the allies.

In Europe, Russia had launched a blistering campaign, taking Finland for their very own, however the following advent of war with Denmark, Norway and Sweden had made the victory rather a moot one. A coup in Romania had allowed them to further expand their borders, adding Romania's prowess to their side of the war and throwing the nations in and around Greece onto the defensive. However, one of the military generals who had participated in the coup had elected to strike west rather than south, and before anyone knew what had happened, Bosnia had been taken (after a very difficult battle in which millions died and had only been won due to the actions of local militants siding with the Romanian force). Fearing a return to the chaos caused by the Kosovo war, Croatia had then thrown their lot in with Romania as had Slovenia, before the Austrians and Italians had thwarted their further plans by putting a large armed embargo on each of their borders, drawing the wind from the defected countries sails.

The frontiers had also changed in Africa. The civil war in Ethiopia had been won by those sympathetic to the enemy cause, throwing their lot in with that side. Government forces had also lost the war in the Central African Republic, bringing that country into the conflict that it previously been too busy fighting to become involved in. Malawi had also joined the enemy's side of the war, and between Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia had fallen and was now under heavy garrison, and despite resistance, there was little chance that that would change any time soon.

The Asian theatre hadn't changed as much as other regions in the war. Other than the loss of Malaysia and the joining of Cambodia and Laos into the war, the enemy strength in the region remained much the same as it had eighteen months ago. The Chinese had temporarily taken Sri Lanka, however India had forced them off the island within the month and returned it to the allied side of war by restoring the exiled president to power. However, a grievous blow to the allied war effort had been the joining of Kazakhstan to the war effort of the enemy, but they had only joined a few months before and were yet to have any great value in the field.

South America had also changed for the enemy as well. Paraguay had been won over by Argentina's entreaties, further stretching the already overtaxed Brazilians. Suriname, alarmed by the show of Brazilian aggression when they took the French Guinea had hasted to join the enemy against the allies, further stretching Brazil's resources as it was now facing a war on three fronts, one of which was massive.

While the war continued to rage across the globe, being fought in modern terms of land, resources, lives and machines, it was also being fought by the Digidestined. The creation of the DDR rifles had led to massive losses across the world in terms of Digidestined, and the general wear and tear of war had also contributed to their losses, the kids in question either being used by governments that targeted the Digidestined or by opposing sides of the war that used the Digidestined to protect the country or further their aims. Upon taking Finland, Russia had tried to round up all the Digidestined, but wise to their intentions the collapsing Finnish government had organised their escape to Norway. Others were not so fortunate. The Digidestined in Bosnia had all been killed, executed when Russia took over. Ethiopia's Digidestined had been forced to flee when the war had ended badly, their friendly government being toppled and forcing them to flee to Kenya for protection. North Korea had killed all of their Digidestined and Iran had had all of theirs arrested. However, things weren't necessarily better for the Digidestined on the allied side. America continued its persecution and micromanagement of the Digidestined, and a protest gone wrong had left three Digidestined kids dead, which had led to a massive fallout in which the allies had criticised America, several enemies gained the moral high ground and also undermined a lot of support for the government's policies. Australia had put its Digidestined under a form of house arrest or protective custody, sticking them in the middle of nowhere in order to try and keep them safe. Even Britain had now insisted on weekly updates from each of its Digidestined. However, a few countries on both sides, such as Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina, Cuba and Malawi mostly viewed their Digidestined as heroes and they were as a result very popular in those countries.

However, the war had changed a lot of things for the Eighteen, still fighting to defend Japan from the attacks of China, Russia, Mexico and North Korea. Indeed, many now said that it was down to the presence of the Digidestined that prevented the enemy from either launching an all out attack (realising it would cost them a lot more due to the presence of Digimon such as GigaSeadramon), causing any truly lasting damage (MagnaSeraphimon and MagnaAngewomon could heal and repair a lot of the damage inflicted) or even launching nukes (which could be easily intercepted by Imperialdramon). The Digidestined's lot had certainly improved over the last eighteen months but it was still far from perfect.

The stress of the war had certainly gotten to the Digidestined. While they had tried as long as possible, and still strived to do so, the number of deaths being caused by them and their Digimon was going up, bringing a host of reactions, guilt, resignation and fear. Cody had taken to visiting the graves of war dead as a result to try and assuage his guilt and Mimi had been given sleeping tablets in order to help her cope. Many people were dead because of them, the world was changing them, and in many ways not for the better.

Tai, being the leader and hence responsible for everyone's safety was not the same person he had been with the start of the war. Fearing for everyone's lives, he was becoming a lot more untrusting, and was a lot less hesitant to trust the lives of his charges to anyone else. And by anyone else it was the newer Digidestined that were implied. While Tai knew Davis and Rana were both very capable, he was loathe to entrust them with anything significant, instead preferring to rely on the advice and strengths of the rest of the original eight. He no longer ruled by consensus and had become much more authoritarian than in the past, taking a lot more power to himself and delegating only to the original group. While he still listened to the others, it was clear he didn't need or want their advice as much as he did the original Digidestined. While his new attitude was understandable, it was also straining relations in the team. Agumon, while less authoritarian than Tai was being, had also taken command of the Digimon, and along with Tai was helping direct the home defence operations and dealing with internal security problems along with the police.

Matt had become much more prominent, basically becoming Tai's right hand man. However, being his best friend he could also see the way Tai had turned and spent a lot of his time trying to mediate between Davis and Rana's disgruntled factions while trying to encourage Tai to delegate more. He had also taken on much more of a leadership role of late and unlike Tai he did delegate tasks, while trying to juggle his own life (his own university course and frequently helping Tai with his), his love life and keeping the country and more importantly the Digidestined from imploding. He had also become a lot more protective of Sora and TK, even including Kari and Cody in that and tried very hard to protect all of them from whatever harm may befall them. Gabumon had also taken a more active role in the war, when he wasn't fighting he had taken to helping the wounded. Given a basic course in medicine both human and digital by Joe, Gabumon would frequently help the wounded after a battle, patching up those he could and doing whatever he could for those he couldn't. His calm demeanour, soothing voice, gentle disposition and quiet nature all made him an excellent nurse, and even when things were most dark, seeing Gabumon wearing a white nurses uniform with a red cross on a paper hat that fitted around his horn was a definite uplift for anyone.

Sora, in her role as the Digidestined of Love, had also changed in her role. Along with helping Matt to keep the peace between the rest of the team, she had also became the sort of group counsellor (as she thoroughly enjoyed the psychology elective she was taking at uni), willing to listen to anyone within the group, human or Digimon and help them with their problems. She had also had a very unpleasant session with Mummymon in which he wailed and blubbed for a better part of an hour that he wasn't sure Arukenimon truly loved him. Indeed, she was so traumatised by the experience that she had taken to hiding whenever she saw him coming in some highly imaginative places, a bus (which had led to her being driven halfway across town without her bag, phone, boyfriend or Digimon (which had in turn earned her a stern ticking off from her parents, partner and boyfriend)), a pot plant (Palmon had been delighted and had immediately told her of all sorts of plants she could grow) and a bin (to which they had all avoided her like the plague due to the smell). She was also trying to reason with Cody and Yolei about their problems in facing the war, but she felt like she was getting nowhere. Biyomon meanwhile was dealing with the refugees, assisting those in charge of evacuations in getting children out of the city and of rehoming those who had lost their homes in an enemy attack.

Izzy had progressed as well, and had become the chief consultant to the military triumvirate on the threat of the Digimon. He had also joined forces with several other computer hackers, protecting Japan's information systems while playing havoc with China's (he did so enjoy messing with all the traffic lights and closing off roads at the most inconvenient times). He wasn't particularly fond of the war, but understood the basic principles: that people died and that they were preventing more from dying. When he wasn't dealing with such matters, he was spending his time with Sam, Michael and Mara, searching for any leads into the next member of the Eighteen and also helping Sam to escape from her turbulent home life. Tentomon meanwhile had taken the job upon himself of restoring energy to stricken neighbourhoods after enemy attacks, earning him a great deal of popularity.

Mimi, despite her guilty conscience that was impeding hers (and hence Joe, Palmon and Gomamon's) sleeping patterns, had truly blossomed due to the war. With the defeat of Daemon, Hawong, not wanting to deal with the aftermath of any Digimon or Digidestined related problem whether it be good or bad had proposed to Tai that someone be appointed as the spokesperson for the group, and in a stroke of genius Tai had made Mimi their new press liaison. Since then Mimi had made the Digidestined much more accessible and human, helping with charities, propaganda campaigns and information nights that had done a lot to demystify and improve their standing with many of the people. It was also due to her actions that a successful government recruitment campaign had been launched, the faces of select Digidestined (Tai, Matt, Mimi and Rana (ie the ones seen as most attractive) being sued to recruit people into the war effort in various ways. As a result of her actions, the Digidestined's popularity had greatly increased over the last eighteen months. Palmon had also become the most well known of the Digimon in their usual forms, helping with the war effort by helping with the growing of vegetables, rice and fruit to keep their forces marching.

Joe had amazingly maintained a cool demeanour of calm through the entire thing. While he worried endlessly about Mimi, Gomamon, his family and his friends, his work as a doctor allowed him to structure his otherwise mad life. He had also set up a mercy corps, of people with limited medical experience to help with triage in the aftermath of battles, and along with that he had also set up a group that people had come to call the Soothers, people who sat and listened to those too wounded or sick to survive and tried to help ease their passing. He had sort of become the professional face of the Digidestined, a reassuring sight and he was often the one people wanted to see most in the aftermath of any battle, he was a soothing presence, and complete with Gomamon, who often managed to cheer people up in the darkest of hours, he was truly a godsend in these dark times.

TK on the other hand had not had a pleasant experience in the last eighteen months. He and Mimi had been on patrol when the Russians had launched a raid, complete with helicopter gunships. While their forces repelled the raid, a Russian gunner, armed with one of the DDR rifles had fired at him and Pegasusmon in quick succession. The blast had skimmed Pegasusmon, who had already been turning away from the attack but the damage had been done. Although only grazed by the attack, Pegasusmon had reverted to Tokomon, his data close to falling to pieces and being destroyed. As Tokomon flickered, about to disappear completely from existence, TK, unconscious had somehow used his crest to generate a sort of stasis field for his partner, managing to keep him alive. However he had plummeted to the ground, his body already damaged by the rifle, and had only just been caught by Mimi and Lillymon before he had slammed into the ground. Catching him had wrenched her shoulder in the process and knocked her off too, but they only fell a few feet to the ground. The damage had been done however.

The DDR rifle had hurt TK nearly as much as it had Patamon, and TK had spent a month in hospital in a coma, during which time Matt and Kari had been beside themselves with fear, barely leaving his bedside, often accompanied by Sora, Tai and Cody. Tokomon had also been very slow to mend, with Gabumon, Biyomon, Gatomon and Armadillomon rarely leaving him, wrapped in his little golden ball as he was, with Wizardmon's ministrations making very slow progress in healing him. When TK finally woke up, to the great relief of his incredibly anxious big brother and distraught girlfriend, their Digimon, all the other kids and their partners, his parents, his barely conscious Digimon and a denying Hawong, they had found the true extent of the damage. Whatever was used to power the beam so it could kill a Digimon played havoc with a human's bones, making them incredibly weak and as a result the first time he had moved his entire rib cage, where he had taken the blast, cracked into pieces, all the bones breaking. While none of his organs had been damaged by the blast, the breaking of his ribs caused some superficial damage to many of them, prompting an operation to patch him up. The nature of the blast also meant that MagnaAngewomon (as even two months later Tokomon had yet to awaken for more than a couple of minutes at a time and hence digivolve) couldn't heal him, TK had been stuck on the long road to recovery the old fashioned way. As a result, his father, mother, brother and girlfriend all took turns watching him intently when they moved him home, babying him and fussing over him to his great disgust, and when Matt (who had gone to get them some lunch) had discovered TK trying to move before he was able to, he had lost it and had summoned each of the other Digidestined to help watch him, something which Mimi (who had suddenly developed very maternal feelings for him akin to Sora's due to saving his life) took to with great delight, a delight that TK shared though he refused to admit it. TK and Patamon had only returned to full operational fitness three months before. It had taken three months for Tokomon to remain awake as he normally would and a further month after that before he was able to digivolve to Patamon. However, he now had a long, thin pale scar down his right flank that would show up on all his forms. Over time, the DDR radiation in TK's body had dissipated, and after six months after the attack, it had gotten to the stage where MagnaAngewomon could heal the two of them again much to their great relief. When he had returned fully armed and operational to the job, he had been met with a standing ovation by the Digidestined, the war cabinet, Hawong, several Diet and police members and Aurkenimon and her group. He had then mysteriously vanished for a while with Kari (both of whom had bemoaned the lack of sex due to his injuries) apparently to make up for lost time. However his near death was an experience none of them were willing to repeat, and all of them were fearful of the danger the DDR rifles posed. Patamon had also made the long road to recovery, having been out of action for months, and now every time he digivolved you could see the scar the attack had inflicted, no matter what form he assumed, a scar that refused to heal, and due to what had happened it made TK even more paranoid of losing his partner.

Kari was also being affected by the war. Being what she was, the Digidestined of Light, the endless cycle of violence and death the war had forced on them was getting to her more than some of the others, her nights filled with dreams of faceless victims of their defence of the realm. What was more, she had also started having prophetic dreams, she had foreseen little snippets of things to come, such as TK falling from Pegasusmon, and as time went on her night time visions were getting bigger and more intense, as she had predicted a Chinese submarine attack and had been proved right the next day. This new trick of hers was serving to freak out many of the others, and was also making Tai and TK incredibly anxious, afraid every day that she would have predicted some other misfortune about to befall them. Recently her dreams had been of the airport, and a faceless girl and none of them knew what it meant, only that she was being protected by a large shadow of some sort. Gatomon, when she wasn't worrying about Kari's new found power or avoiding her and TK when they were together, she had been largely helping with Patamon's recovery, knowing that out of the two of them (awful though it sounded) they needed Patamon working at full strength before TK. Now that he was fully recovered, she had been acting as a messenger between various services in town, quickly passing messages during a crisis when her digivolutions weren't called for.

Davis had also changed. Feeling increasingly sidelined since the war began due to Tai taking on a much more involved leadership role, Davis had begun speaking out against Tai's leadership. He truly didn't believe Tai was a bad leader, quite the opposite, but ever since the war had begun, it seemed like he was trusting Davis and Rana less and less to do the jobs they had always done. He was also ignoring their advice and reducing the amount of time they spent in the field, the amount of decisions they made and the level of involvement of their respective groups, and it was beginning to frustrate him. He didn't want much, but it seemed as if Tai was trying to take his and Rana's groups away from them, even though they had both proved they were capable of leading their groups into battle. As a result, Davis had been trying to convince Tai to tone down some of his actions and give some of their own power back to them, but he wasn't having it so as a result Davis had been needling him further and further, his actions (which would be bordering on insubordination if they were a proper military group) becoming slightly more rebellious than ever before as he attempted to change Tai's position. He was also dealing with the same problem Tai was: not having a girlfriend. Kari, Sora and Mimi had decided while chatting away (as they were prone to do) that much of Tai's more negative personality aspects of late were due to the fact that he was one of the few Digidestined without a significant other. All of the rest of the original eight had one as did all of Rana's group (though Rana wasn't dating a member of the group, she was dating Davis and Ken's football team rival Derek), and only Tai, Davis and Cody had no one (not that it seemed to bother Cody as much). Reasoning that stress and envy were combining to make a not so good combination, they had decided that what Tai really needed was a girlfriend. Davis was also without one, however unlike Tai and Cody who had no girls in sight (well there were the ones who cried 'you saved my life' and basically wanted to sleep with Tai but he ignored them), Davis was already in love with someone. Ever since he had met her, his feelings for Rana had been growing stronger and stronger and seeing her every day with someone who wasn't him was tearing him apart. He wanted nothing more than to tell her how he really felt, but he couldn't. While Davis tried to make Tai see sense and gain back some of the ground he had lost, while also aching over Rana, Veemon had taken to the airwaves, sending out a radio show with Armadillomon, both of them hosting a talk show which served to cheer a good many people up with takes on the news, less than polite critiques of the kids (though not completely offensive since they had made the foolish mistake of insulting Mimi) and basically just cheering people up.

Since the creation of the DDRs and Japan taking a few from captured soldiers, Ken and Yolei had been studying the weapons, trying to find some way to adapt to them or subvert them or something before they got any of them killed. Working with a team of scientists, they had been at it for months, and while they were no closer to figuring out how to stop them, they had figured out how they worked and hence how they were able to cause so much damage to TK as well as Patamon. Wormmon was also helping in his own unique way, going around the children's homes with Hawkmon, explaining about Digimon and keeping orphans and lost kids happy and cheering them up when things were bad.

Cody's life has also changed. Once more a master at all things martial arts, he had been helping his grandpa and another sensei teach self defence classes to interested people. He also made sure to visit the war graves every week to make sure no one was forgotten. Along with that, he and Yolei had started campaigning for a peaceful end to the war. Disliking the constant fighting, they wanted to see a return to peace, and they were also becoming more and more opposed to just destroying evil Digimon. Much of this was due to the reports that Digimon were appearing all over the world in every country except Japan, and finding out so many Digimon had been killed did not sit well with them. Their empathy, while admirable, was beginning to cause problems for the Digidestined, who while they didn't like it, realised they were fighting a war on two fronts and were often left with no choice but to destroy attacking Digimon, and also with Hawong, who was becoming annoyed that people so close to his inner circle were criticising the war. Those weren't the only changes. Helping Matt clean out some space in order to make room for all his uni stuff, Cody had discovered Matt's disbanded band's drum kit and, bored, started to play on them. Matt had been very impressed with him despite being an amateur and over the last eighteen months had been teaching Cody to play the drums, which was helpful, because when Mimi heard that Cody was good at drums she pounced. Taking the opportunity to strengthen the kids position, along with helping the war wounded, homeless and orphans, she had organised a charity concert which would feature Matt's reunited band, complete with Cody as the new drummer. Backed into a corner, they had had no choice but to agree, but the news that she had conned Sora, Kari and the three of their Digimon into singing as well had taken the edge of, and now they were practicing for their concert on the third of December. Armadillomon had taken on a new role in the world as well, helping to keep the fractured foundations of buildings damaged in battles in good repair.

Rana was also chafing under Tai's new authority. As she had been leading her group for very little time, she had originally not minded, but Tai kept sending them on irritating missions that weren't too threatening, as if they couldn't cope with as much as the others could and it had been getting on their nerves. As a result, she and the other three in her group had been sneaking into the digital world, battling in tournaments in File City to bring themselves up to scratch and also helping keep an eye on events, acting as a sort of liaison between Cannondramon, who was a link to the Sovereigns, and the rest of the kids. She was however, becoming increasingly unhappy with her relationship with Derek, and was resolving to split up with him not long after the concert. Tsukimon had also been helpful, helping disable any mines when the Chinese deployed them in their bombardments, and also helping to defuse any missiles that landed and didn't explode.

Michael and Mara however were under a considerable deal of pressure. The disappearing Digimon act appeared to be driving Mara round the twist a lot more than all the others, which wasn't helping. However, due to being American nationals, despite America being on the same side, the actions of their arrogant and power hungry president was earning them few favours or friends. Their parents were also rather irate at being stuck in Japan due to the duration of the conflict despite their film closure, Hawong secretly performing a bit of political skulduggery that meant they couldn't go home due to Mara and Michael being needed here, forcing their parents to star in either Japanese movies or propaganda films. They were also the ones in charge of trying to find the other two members of the Digidestined, Tai's reasoning being that completely new eyes might find something they missed (thought it was obvious he just didn't want to do it anymore, and after looking through records for months they could certainly sympathise, if not resent him for giving them this job). Betamon and Lopmon were also endlessly stuck looking, only allowed out when there was an attack and all of them were going a little stir crazy.

Samantha however was not doing nearly so well. Though she like most of the others had just accepted the fact that they were at war and was dealing with it in her own way, her home life had gone completely down the drain. Her poor mother was now the wall that kept Sam from beating her father to a bloody pulp for his stupid, arrogant attitude. Ever since the war had truly broken out, he had been hell to live with, ranting and raving about the Digimon threat, dismissing them all as evil abominations who ought to be destroyed, and he had made it clear time and again that he didn't want Candlemon in the house and that she ought to abandon him, her friends and her boyfriend all because they were associated with Digimon. He claimed they were not of this earth, and his constant diatribe frayed her already frazzled nerves to the breaking point. He had also made it clear that he had no use for his daughter if she did not see as he did. He saw the Digimon for apparently what they were, godless, evil monsters intent on destroying god's earth, and it was all she could do to stop herself attacking her father for his stupidity, as he didn't quite seem to grasp that without the Digimon on their side, they would all be dead, her along with them. As a result, Sam would leave early in the morning, never stay in the same room as her father for more than five minutes, and give him a look of contemptuous loathing before leaving and give him the same one as she returned, where she would go straight to her room, avoiding meal times with him altogether. Her mother was frantically trying to repair their bond but it seemed like it was too far gone to ever be repaired. As a result, their home was cold and impersonal, both of them talking to her well enough but completely furious with the other, and her poor mother was stuck in the middle. As a result Sam had all but moved in to Izzy's, her family life stressing her out to the max.

Candlemon had been her constant companion, acting as solace during her dark time.

The Digidestined were not doing well as a whole. The war was wearing them down, stressing them out and worrying them sick. They couldn't do their jobs properly, be themselves properly and the constant fighting was getting to them, affecting their personalities, emotions and health. The ever increasing number of dead, which they felt responsible for, and in their own way contributed to, was all but destroying them, destroying the things that made them good, and pure and human, destroying the ties that bind. Events were getting too far out of control for them, and there was no sign of any relent from any quarter.

And of course it was that night that Kari dreamed of six darkly shining beings, which could only mean one thing: trouble.

XX

Kari bolted upwards, shaking in a cold sweat. Taking a deep breath to try to bring her breathing back under control, she looked around the darkened room, everything seeming normal. Patamon and Gatomon were curled up at the foot of the bed, Gatomon's long tail coiled around the two of them. Beside her was the peacefully sleeping form of her boyfriend, TK, his hand just an inch from where hers was. She took another breath to try and calm herself. Her nights hadn't bothered her this much since before their last trip to the Dark Ocean, but now, in place of nightmares, it seemed she was starting to get visions, seeing things before they happened. She had foreseen the emergence of Digimon into their world, however all she had been able to see was a Digimon appearing. She had also seen TK falling before he was attacked, and had been terrified to learn that she had foreseen the future at the time. She scowled. She didn't mind the visions per se, but while they could be quite handy, because they were so new to her at the moment they were more of a nuisance than anything else. She didn't see enough or long enough to be useful, all she got was a little teaser that left her with more questions than answers.

Tonight was no exception. A small girl with brown hair, slightly darkened skin and a digivice was backed up against a wall, cowering in the shadow of a Monochromon, as he bravely faced six Digimon that were shrouded in darkness. She bit down a wave of frustration. Who was this girl, why was she dreaming about her? She had thought she was a member of the Eighteen, one of the two they were missing, but she had so little information she wasn't sure, though she was leaning towards thinking this girl was indeed one of the ones they were looking for. But if she was, how was she meant to find her? She harrumphed in annoyance. It would be so much easier if they were of some use, these visions, but they weren't, so why couldn't she go back to dreaming of interesting things, like an aeroplane made of chocolate, Tai with Gatomon's tail or her and TK somewhere nice, warm, relaxing and sunny with no problems, no war...

"What is it sweetheart?" TK asked sleepily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes as he surveyed his girlfriend.

"Another vision. Why can't my dreams go back to just being dreams?" she asked irritably and he kissed her shoulder gently, his blue eyes looking at her beseechingly.

"What was it?" he asked softly, stroking her hair behind her ear gently.

"Some girl with a Monochromon, I'm leaning towards the theory that she's the next member of the Eighteen. But whoever she is, she's in trouble, there's six bad guys after her, but I can't make them out." She said worriedly, and TK frowned.

"Six bad guys? That's all we need, we only had one big bad last time and look at the mess he made. You recognise anything about her?" he asked quietly, and she shook her head.

"No, like I said, my visions aren't much use, they're just snippets kind of like a trailer would be. And being chased by six bad guys? That can't bode well for any of us." She whispered darkly, and he nodded.

"You're right about that much. We haven't really been attacked by a Digimon since we blew up Daemon. I reckon we're probably overdue for an attack." He said with a scowl and she smiled slightly, kissing his cheek.

"Since when did you become so cynical?" she asked playfully and he grinned, kissing her deeply before breaking off.

"Because in case you missed it honey, anything that can go wrong for us generally does. The stalemate aside, we're basically getting on with our lives, albeit with added patrols. Hence, by the laws of the ancient law of sod, something needs to happen to make the other shoe drop. Call Tai?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"No, it can wait till morning, we don't know anything about her anyway so even if I told him it wouldn't do us much good, and besides, he's stressed out as it is, I don't want to add to that until we have to." She said, and he nodded.

"Well, as we aren't telling Tai, and as Matt warned me that if he and Sora got interrupted tonight I wouldn't be much use to you as a boyfriend anymore, why don't we just go back to sleep?" he asked, and she grinned, tracing her finger down the thin scar that marked where he had been shot, and then stroked down one of the tiny incisions they had made to fix his bleeding stomach and lung.

"Why go back to sleep when we can play instead?" she asked playfully, and forced her grinning boyfriend down, totally ignoring the two snoring Digimon at the bottom of the bed.

XX

"All is in readiness your splendidness." A voice said and he nodded, watching as the last of their troops entered into the rift, high above their temple.

Soulmon, Spiritmon, Shademon and Spectremon all headed into the rift, hundreds of them, all filling into the vessel that would take them to the real world. Their time had come. Due to their newest member's actions, the barrier between the worlds was all but broken. The rift would easily convey them to the real world, and with the Sovereign's gaze distracted elsewhere by the actions of their father, now was the perfect time to move.

"Hurry along daughters, you'll be left behind." His sister chided fondly and her three daughters went to join her adopted son, before heading into the rift.

"At long last, we will take our rightful place in both worlds. No longer will we linger here, lost and forgotten in the shadows. Now, we return and remind the world of our power." Her oldest brother said with dark excitement and she nodded.

"Agreed brother. The worlds will pay for forgetting us. I must say, I'm looking forward to meeting the Digidestined. It's been so long since we purged the gods from the earth." She purred, as her two sisters appeared, and the younger of the two, the tempestuous one, looked at her curiously.

"Do you think sister anything within them will realise who we are?" she mused and the eldest sister thought about it, pondering it over.

"Perhaps. But then the children are not unintelligent. They may discover who we are without having to...remind them." She said, fiddling with her wand.

"Either way it matters not. We once rested this world from the gods, we shall do the same to the Digidestined. Just because the rank and file have mostly forgotten about us does not mean we are gone. Now we shall return!" the eldest said, to the appreciative chattering of his siblings.

The time had come.

The Primordials would rise again.

XX

Tai was feeling very wrongfooted. He had entered the Prime Minister's office to find General Pei, Marshal Kuji and Admiral Wang all waiting for him, with Hawong sitting at his desk, with Margaret standing loyally behind him as always. Had he forgotten that there was a war council meeting this morning? He can't have done, or Matt would be here, so why had he been summoned? Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't just the leader of the Digidestined and one of the most well known defenders of Japan, he was also trying to pursue a career in banking through his university course, not that he had much time to focus on that.

"Tai, come on in." Hawong said as the door shut behind him, and Hawong beckoned for the four other men to sit.

"Is there a war council meeting I've forgotten about?" Tai asked, and Hawong shook his head.

"No, this is different, a secret meeting that cannot get out to the general war council or even to the public until we are good and ready. Do I make myself clear?" Hawong asked, and Tai nodded.

The Digidestined's relationship with him had greatly improved in recent months. He had greatly softened towards them, while maintaining a sort of peeved uncle's disapproval of their antics, but his behaviour was vastly different from what it had once been to them. The generals were also fairly friendly to the Digidestined, all of which contributed to make one less of a headache for the entire team. Hawong had gotten them any equipment they needed, materials, aided with their press relations and also acknowledged their efforts to protect the country. While he still refused to allow Digimon into his office, he did allow them into the building now rather than having them wait miles away from where their partners when they could need them.

"Good. Now, as you know, the war hasn't been going anywhere, we've been at stalemate for months." Pei said and Tai scoffed, a blind man could see that neither side was getting nowhere fast.

"Too true. Wait a minute, is this another try to get us to attack somewhere?" he asked suspiciously, but Margaret shook her head.

"No Tai, because an attack would have to be followed up by an invasion and quite frankly we don't have the forces to spare to invade a football pitch never mind an enemy country, we're spread too thin battling a war on so many fronts." She explained, and Tai looked at Hawong, wondering where this was going.

"That is however, about to change. A major operation is in the works." Wang explained from his side, and Tai turned to look at the admiral, who activated a switch on the projector to show a map with all the current boundaries, and Hawong walked over.

"Supreme Allied Command is adamant, the stalemate must be broken. And they wish to break it before Christmas, hopefully force the enemy onto the defensive so that people actually have something to celebrate. Which brings us to our operation. America is about to launch a massive invasion in the Gulf of Mexico, forces from Canada, Spain and Britain have already travelled to Virginia to rendezvous with the attack force marshalling there. We're hoping that the enemy will believe the intelligence trail that points to them about to go and reinforce Brazil. And that is essentially correct." Hawong explained, and Tai frowned.

Brazil was the key to the entire South American theatre, if the country fell it would be a significant setback for the allies. But despite fighting a multifront war as it was, it didn't seem to be in any immediate danger.

"So what, command wants to conquer South America by Christmas? How are we meant to do that in a month? Argentina in particular won't go down without a fight." He reasoned and Kuji nodded.

"You are correct. Which is why Brazil isn't the real target." He said, and Hawong pointed to the islands in the gulf, and it suddenly clicked, and Tai was saved the necessity by Hawong explaining.

"The combined task force will launch a simultaneous attack throughout the entire gulf. We intend to hit them hard and fast, and provided we take Cuba within the first twenty four hours of the attack, the rest should fall into place, with the most powerful enemy nation being unable to help the ones it coerced or conquered into the enemy camp. Rebels in Jamaica are poised to help, and the government in exile on Puerto Rico is also prepared to return to power. The mission will be launched on the twentieth of December, and by the end of it, if all goes well, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and all the other small nations around it will hopefully be under allied control." He explained, and Tai frowned.

"Alright, with you so far. We take those islands, we get a major boost in morale and in resources, it also means we control the gulf and can easily reinforce Brazil. But I still don't see why I'm needed here, or how you plan to pull this off. I mean the plan's good and all, but Mexico won't let us take everything in the gulf, its a threat to them and will let us reinforce Brazil, which they don't want. How do you plan to pull this off?" he asked, and Hawong grinned.

That is where you and your team come in." He said, sitting back down at his desk and looking frankly across at Tai.

"Mexico is in trouble. It knows it cant keep this up much longer. Whether we take the gulf or reinforce Brazil, either way if we succeed, it means curtains for Mexico, it will be facing a war on two fronts. The Americans, due to them helping out us and the Europeans, haven't been able to deploy all of their forces to deal with Mexico. That's coming to an end now. With American forces freed up in Iraq due to the new government there, there are now two thousand American troops about to land right on the Mexican border. Within two months, they will push into the country and end the war, either that or if Brazil breaks the stalemate and heads north, Mexico will be threatened from both sides. Now, Mexico does not want to be beaten by the Americans. The Americans will not treat them well, they know that and quite frankly the American president will cripple them if he can get away with it. As a result, they want to avoid a confrontation with America. They do not want a showdown with them, and they also do not want to surrender to America." Hawong explained.

"So what do they intend to do, declare neutrality? Russia and China will wipe them off the map." Tai said, and Pei nodded.

"You're correct son. However, if they join the allies, America will be honour bound to help protect Mexico from any reprisals. Also, if Mexico defects the entire American theatre will be thrown wide open for us." He explained, and Hawong nodded.

"Which is what you're doing here. Mexico has realised the precarious position it is in. It won't survive long against a superior American army. They will not surrender to America either. That leaves them with defection. They want to change sides in the war."

"So what's stopping them? They could easily get someone into America and end their war in a stroke." Tai said, and Hawong nodded.

"Correct. But they do not want to treat with America either. As it was us they originally declared war on, its us they want to end their war with. As such, a Mexican ambassador is coming here in two days time in order to discuss Mexico's defection. If the terms are agreeable, Japan will bring Mexico into our side of the war, Mexico will become an ally of ours and our war with them will end. If we succeed in securing Mexico's defection, their considerable resources and military will be put to our use. But above all else, two more things will occur. If Mexico joins us, the Neutral Gulf Territory has said that they will not stop any army marching into South America. So, if we make peace with Mexico, the benefits are many. We stop fighting Mexico, freeing up some of our troops in order to fight elsewhere. America will no longer have to fight Mexico, and will be able to focus on battles elsewhere. The allies will gain Mexico's considerable resources and materiel, and above all else we will gain vital intelligence from them about Russia and China's movements. And, with the neutral states doing nothing and the islands in the gulf under allied control, we could easily reinforce Brazil and take the rest of South America. With one stroke of a pen, we could potentially bring the entire American theatre to an end." Hawong explained and Tai leaned back in his chair, considering the implications.

Mexico wanted to defect, to join the allies., If it did so, it would change everything. Their forces would be freed up, less lives would be lost, it would be a significant victory for the allies, it would also break the stalemate (especially if the islands in the gulf were taken, which a defecting Mexico would do nothing to stop) and potentially end the entire American theatre, as Hawong said. It was far too good an opportunity to pass up. With one swift stroke, they might be able to help bring the war to a much closer end.

"He's coming here?" Tai asked with a slight grin, and Hawong nodded.

"Yes. I want you lot to protect him, if he goes to the toilet I want you there wiping his bum. We cannot allow anything to happen to him. The gulf offensive does not depend on Mexico's defection, but it would make our lives much simpler if it was, and also considerably reduce our losses. And as we've explained, Mexico's defection is paramount. If we achieve their defection, this war comes one step closer to ending. We can't afford any screw ups, and for the sake of my blood pressure, we also cannot have any more foreign dignitaries dying on our soil. Protect the ambassador with your life. Speaking of which, in case the hardliner enemy sympathisers get wind of the possible defection, he is bringing his family with him to keep them from harm. You also need to protect them. Clear?" Hawong asked, and Tai nodded.

"Perfectly. This is it isn't it?" he asked and Hawong nodded.

"Indeed it is. Now I know you lot like to do things mostly by consensus, but we can't afford that this time. Do not tell the others that Mexico is considering defecting, if words gets out to the enemy agents in the country they'll stop at nothing to kill him. We can't afford it this time Tai. We need you and your friends to protect the ambassador no matter what, and by doing so, we can hopefully bring this war to a closer end. No mistakes, no screwups. We have no room for error this time, do not fail me." Hawong warned, and while he rankled a little, Tai just nodded.

"Complete secrecy, don't even tell Agumon." Wang said, feeling bad because he quite liked the little dinosaur.

"Understood." Tai said stoutly, and Hawong nodded.

"Then we are done here." Hawong said and the generals traipsed out, bidding the others goodbye.

"Where are we stashing him?" Tai asked and Hawong waved his hand.

"You don't need to worry about that, all you need to do is protect him that's all. Now, I'll see you later." He said and Tai was about to head out when he spotted something on Hawong's table and grinned.

"I didn't know you were a music lover." He said, and Hawong looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"The tickets to Matt's concert on your desk." He said, pointing and Hawong seemed to deflate, then scowled up at Tai.

"If you must know, Margaret got them for us, she seems to like his music. Besides its for a good cause, and the Prime Minister must support such things. Now get out." He said and cackling with mirth Tai made a hasty retreat.

Hawong reclined in his chair. He hated to admit it, but messy though they had been (they still were but MagnaSeraphimon and MagnaAngewomon cleaned it up, and the rest of the country was such a mess no one noticed anyway), defiant and insubordinate, they had certainly grown on him, which when he had first assumed office he would have said was impossible. However, the war was dragging on. The entire thing was stuck in a stalemate, it seemed for every victory won, there was another battle lost, no one was making any progress at all. He once more scowled at the thought of Daemon and Devimon. The original plan had been a war between Japan and China that would grant him greater power, an authoritarian Japan of which he would be sole master. In return, he would restrain the Digidestined while Devimon schemed behind the scenes. However, they had betrayed him, and rather than just his little war they had created World War Three which still raged with no end in sight. As a result, Hawong had tried harder and harder to protect the Digidestined. He sighed. He knew full well he could protect them all he wanted, the evil Digimon out to get them would stop at nothing to get them. And he also knew that if they ever found out he was working with the Digimon, and according to Devimon if TK in particular found out who he was dealing with, no matter how much goodwill he had built up with them they would crush him in an instant. He had contemplated coming clean, but he feared for Japan if it lost him. Not that he was arrogant, he just didn't like the idea of his noxiously eager deputy prime minister being in charge of the country or the kids. Odd though it sounded, he just didn't trust Kanalaka. So, fearing what Kanalaka would do to the country, and in no small way fearing what the Digidestined would do to him, he had kept his silence, and continued to keep it, fear preying on him at every moment that someone, anyone, would discover just what secrets he was carrying.

However there was one bright spot in his life. Devimon hadn't been seen or heard from for eighteen months, not since the Digidestined had sucked CacoDaemon into oblivion, and Hawong only took that as a good sign. He knew there were Digimon appearing in the real world, and in the city, but none of them had done any damage, so whatever was going on, he wasn't going to worry about it. No Devimon meant no imminent all out Digimon attacks which seemed to revolve around trying to kill the kids while making as much mess as possible...

"Greetings Hawong."

As Hawong leapt about a foot in the air, yelping in alarm, he realised he had spoke too soon, for standing in the corner of the room, red eyes narrowed and long arms crossed and clutching his shoulders was Devimon.

"I thought I'd gotten rid of you." Hawong growled, wishing his heart rate would return to normal.

"Silly Hawong, you and I are partners." Devimon said, once again helping himself to Hawong's whisky.

"Partners see each other more often than every eighteen months Devimon." Hawong growled and the Digimon sniffed as he downed the whisky.

"How goes the war?" Devimon asked, and Hawong quickly adjusted his papers to put the stuff about Mexico out of his sight.

"Nowhere." Hawong responded curtly and Devimon smiled.

"Excellent." He said, and Hawong scowled, it certainly wasn't excellent for him, but as he had suspected, Devimon didn't know about the coming offensives or Mexico and he intended to keep it that way.

"If you say so. To what do I owe the pleasure, such as it is?" Hawong asked irritably and Devimon examined his fingernails.

"You're about to come under attack again." He said and Hawong groaned.

"Must you? May I remind you Devimon that every time any of your lot attacks, all they succeed in doing is making one hell of a mess before getting themselves blown up by the Digidestined. You know it will only end in failure." Hawong said darkly and Devimon narrowed his eyes.

"You overestimate them Hawong." He said, and Hawong rolled his eyes.

"No I don't, you underestimate them. I would think that seeing as how many of your friends have been destroyed by them, you would be a bit more careful about engaging them in battle." Hawong said irritably and Devimon chuckled darkly.

"Could it be that you have actually grown to care for them Hawong?" he asked mockingly, and Hawong wisely held his tongue, which only made Devimon laugh.

"How quaint. Well, your new heroes will be under attack soon enough." Devimon assured him, and Hawong glared. Devimon knew he had softened to them, so he might as well do the thing properly.

"I won't allow you to hurt them Devimon. If any harm comes to them..."

Devimon hissed, his red eyes narrowed in angry disdain.

"You'll do what Hawong? Tell them everything? They'll kill you as easily as they would kill me, make no mistake." He warned, and Hawong gave him a cold smile.

"No, but remember, I know enough of your plans to allow them to screw you up, perhaps irreparably. If harm comes to them, then I will tell them just enough so they can stop you. I need never be involved other than that." He said smugly, and he abruptly found Devimon's long arm striking outwards, his hand clasping around his neck as he seized him off the ground, his red eyes alight with malice.

"You overstep your bounds Hawong. You are our agent nothing more, you were convenient at the time. However you continue to be so, and your untimely demise in your office will have the infernal little brats looking towards me before I want them to, which is the only reason I am sparing your life. You are useful to us Hawong, that is all. Do not stop being useful simply because your conscience doesn't sit easy. But, if you jeopardise my plans in any way, if you make any attempt to warn them of what is to come, I will kill you, and your torment will be legendary. Am I clear?" he sneered, and Hawong nodded feebly before Devimon released him and dropped him back to the ground.

"Perfectly." Hawong ground out and Devimon smiled.

"Excellent. Never overstep your bounds again." He said with a hint of malice, and just like that he was gone.

Hawong gasped as he got back to his feet, cursing the fact that he had ever allied himself to Devimon. When he had first thought he would get power in exchange for destroying the kids Digimon, he hadn't cared at all, and back then he didn't care at all for the kids either. Things had changed since then. Now he knew the truth, Devimon and whoever he worked for wanted the kids dead, not the Digimon (though they wouldn't say no), and they had caused a world war for some purpose that he didn't quite grasp yet. And loathe though he was to admit it, he did care about them.

So, he obviously couldn't warn them as himself, and as Devimon was apparently back and knowing the foul creature would be for a while, perhaps he had to look at other methods of letting them know the danger they were in.

It was time for Mr X to come out of retirement.

XX

The benefits of being the deputy prime minister was that people rarely questioned you, and as soon as he was in the back seat of the car, he effectively became invisible. And as a result, he was able to meet with his two compatriots in his limo in relative peace, other than the noises of the traffic.

Working as an agent for both the Chinese and Russian governments was a nuisance in many ways, however it had provided him with two bodyguards, who, upon being told the exact same cover story only with different actors, had consented to work together, because after all, they were meant to be on the same team.

His Russian bodyguard was named Alexandr, a big, tank like man, bulging with muscles in a tight black tshirt with bandoliers across his chest. He had narrow grey eyes and short grey hair. Sitting beside him was his partner, ToyAgumon, who Kanalaka had procured for him. His Chinese bodyguard was a small man with thin black hair and thick glasses by the name of Khon Sum and his little Digimon Monmon, who Kanalaka had also got for him, was sitting with him. Syakomon was sitting with his partner, seeing all as always.

"The Eighteen are going to be attending a charity concert. I think it's time we have our group announce itself to the world." Kanalaka said, and Khon Sum looked at him in surprise.

"Are you sure? With your plan so close to succeeding..." he said, and Kanalaka waved him off.

"Exactly. As I get closer, I need the Eighteen looking elsewhere, rather than at anything that is potentially going on in their own backyard. I'll have Ryo and his group infiltrate the arena, and then we can see what they're made of." He said, and Alexandr frowned.

"A risky strategy. There are no guarantees they will not kill Ryo's group, which endangers the entire plan. Our superiors will not like this!"

Syakomon glared at him.

"All Ryo needs to do to ensure the Eighteen don't kill them is show themselves. When they see that other Digidestined are behind the attack, their hand will be stayed." He said confidently, but the others didn't look so convinced.

"Even if that's true, there's still the fact that Ryo's group do not have the firepower to hold their own against the Eighteen for long, there's only eight of them." ToyAgumon said musingly, and Kanalaka nodded.

"Indeed, which is why Yamaki will lead his group as well. It's time we moved out of the shadows." Kanalaka said, and Monmon frowned.

"I still don't see an attack on the Eighteen as wise. Even with Yamaki's help we are still outnumbered." He said warningly, and Khon Sum looked thoughtfully out of the window.

"Only by one, that should be more than enough, maybe if we kill one of them..."

"No, no killing. This is an aggressive fact finding mission only. For my plan to work, Ryo and his friends, along with us and Yamaki, must be able to deal with the Eighteen, at least as far as such things go, we must be able to match them evenly, if only for a little while. When the time comes for us to move, we'll need Ryo and his friends to back us up, and we will have to go through the Eighteen to get what we want. So, we need this mission. And we will all be there as well, not in view of course, but we will be there." Kanalaka said, and Alexandr smiled.

"And once all is said and done, the Eighteen will be so busy worrying that they won't think to look until it's too late."

"Exactly the point. And by the time any of them realise just what I'm up to, I'll have them." He said, as he and Syakomon laughed darkly.

XX

The open air stadium was packed to the brim, music was pounding out from the stage as Matt and the Teenage Wolves, now including Cody, went through their first song. Screaming girls, lustful guys (who were here for the girl's acts) and curious older people, like the very out of place looking Hawong and jumping Margaret were all staring down at the stage where the band was, and at the front of the middle rows were the rest of the Digidestined who wouldn't be singing, along with Hawong, Margaret and the Digimon.

Tai was enjoying himself, relaxing for the first time in ages, and also having a night off for the first time in what felt like forever. With the young of the city all packed into the outdoor arena, Hawong had decided rather than stretch out the police, he would have the Eighteen police the event, which suited him just fine. When he wasn't dressed in his combat gear, he was dressed in black jeans with a long sleeved zip up blue sweater with a white tshirt beneath. His hair wasn't quite as wild as it had been, due to some of it being fried slightly by an overhead missile, but despite being a couple of inches shorter was still a bushy mess. Beside him, Agumon and Gabumon were singing along to the song Matt, Cody and the rest of the band were currently singing.

Next to him was Izzy, his arm snaked around Sam's waist as the two of them swayed to the music. Izzy was dressed in an orange and brown jumper that he worse usually, a thick black fleece and had a blue scarf around his neck which Lopmon (who was apparently a compulsive knitter) had made for him. His hair was still quite short, though combed more than usual, slightly to the right. Samantha was clad in a pair of dark green jeans, a pink top, and was wrapped in a warm long coat, and was also sporting her Lopmon made scarf, which was a cheerful yellow. Her hair reached the top of her shoulders now, she also had a new pair of glasses that were glinting in the bright lights of the concert. However, while she was smiling and enjoying herself, the worry she was under did still shine through a little on her face. Tentomon and Candlemon were beside the two of them, dancing in their own way which they seemed to fine acceptable.

Joe was at the far end of the row of Digidestined in that row, next to Hawong and Margaret. For once he had changed out of what everyone called his doctors gear and was wearing a turtleneck dark green jumper with beige trousers while sporting an extra cardigan. His glasses were also new (no matter what he did his glasses always seemed to be a recurring casualty of war) and his hair was shorter than it had been for years, slightly shorter on top than it had been on their first trip to the digital world. Gomamon was hanging over the railing, singing along to the songs with Margaret, who had let it slip that he was her favourite.

On Tai's other side was TK, who was looking proudly on at his brother and friend, though he was more interested in the next act in which his girlfriend would be performing. Clad in a yellow tshirt, he was also wearing a zip up green hoody, his white bodywarmer and his own Lopmon scarf, this time a red one. His hair had also undergone a cut, short and spiked up at the front and nowhere near as long as his or his brothers had used to be. Patamon was swaying to the music in front of him, enjoying the music and the view.

In the row behind, Davis was in the centre, looking much the same as he always had. Now dressed in a blue tshirt, with a black hoody and leather jacket, he was grinning as he and Ken tried to embarrass each other with worsening dance moves. His hair had been cut as well, slightly shorter than it had been for years, and now with blond highlights at the tips (all of which Ken claimed was to try and attract Rana's attention). In front of him, Veemon was trying to instruct Wormmon in the finer points of a Mexican wave, not quite realising that poor Wormmon wasn't quite built for such a feat.

Beside Davis and losing the war of embarrassment while singing to Matt's song, Ken was looking down at Cody's performance on the stage, he had been worried the little kid would freeze up, but it looked as if Cody was having the time of his life. Dancing slightly, Ken was clad in a shirt and sweater, a nice warm dark blue one that Lopmon had initially made for Michael but had made it too big for him, so Ken, not wanting the little rabbits feelings to be hurt, had taken it for his own, and still insisted that other than telling Yolei he loved her, it was one of the best things he had ever done, it was lovely and warm. He was also wearing grey trousers, much to Wormmon's disgust as he slid off them when he tried to crawl up them. His hair was much the same as his brother's had once been, short and messy as he danced badly beside Davis and Yolei.

Beside him, Yolei dressed in a lilac sweater with a cream skirt and red rights was dancing in her own way, while vowing she was never going anywhere with Ken again. Her hair was now only down to her shoulders, due to her hair flapping in her face whenever she flew, and there were now also some muted green streaks in her hair as a result of a drunken dare with Kari. Hawkmon had noticed Wormmon's peril and was trying to support him while Veemon continued his Mexican wave unperturbed.

Michael and Mara were on Davis' other side, smiling as they rocked to the music. Michael was clad in a suede jacket with a fur lined collar, a green sweater and a black shirt beneath it, complete with suede shoes and brown pants. His blond hair was much the same as it had always been, though it had grown ever so slightly, but he often complained trying to grow his hair was a pointless exercise, made all the more pointless by the pink hat Lopmon had made him that he was wearing unabashedly on his head (she had run out of the colour she had meant to use). Beside him Mara was swaying as well, clad in a purple faux fur coat, surrounding a red turtleneck and black jeans. She was wearing a set of purple gloves Lopmon had made her, her hand entwined with Michael's. Her red and gold hair was piled high on her head, and beside her Betamon, clad in a knitted grey scarf and socks was singing along with Lopmon, who had a orange scarf, green gloves and yellow horn warmers on as they sat in the cold night air.

Down on the stage, Matt was coming to the end of his song. Dressed in a black tshirt with a jagged white icicle, he was also wearing a black leather jacket which matched his jeans. His hair was only spiked up at the fringe, unlike TK's. On the drums Cody was clad in his own scarf, this one purple in colour and was wearing a warm sweater vest on top of a Henley shirt as he pounded away at the drums, his hair slightly spiky. Armadillomon was sitting in the wings, as he was in charge of the announcements for the night since Mimi was taking to the stage.

The song came to an end and applause filled the auditorium, even Hawong was clapping enthusiastically.

"I said it's rather loud!" he shouted to Margaret who laughed.

"It's a music concert prime minister, it's meant to be!" she said, and he nodded, and then raised a hand to Matt and Cody as they moved off the stage.

"They're rather good." He said, and Gomamon grinned up at him.

"Yeah, I saw you boogeying a bit." He said teasingly as the others all laughed, while Hawong favoured him with a scowl.

"A prime minister does not boogey, and I'm afraid I shall have to have you shot if you say it again." He said with dignity, but it only made the others laugh more, and realising he had lost, he looked down onto the next row.

"Isn't than Rana?" he asked.

It was indeed Rana, standing beside her big and burly boyfriend Derek, his arms wrapped around her waist as the two swayed. Tai, and also Davis, noted that she didn't look particularly happy. She was clad in a red fleece over a purple bodywarmer and a pink top, along with a lilac skirt and white tights. Her brown hair was also styled up, with tips of dyed white which were also the result of Kari being better at truth or dare. Tsukimon was sitting on the wall behind her, head bobbing to the music while his eyes never left his partner.

Speaking of Kari, she, Sora and Mimi had appeared on the stage, along with Biyomon, Palmon and Gatomon, who were backing singers. Sora's red hair had deeper streaks of red in it, once more Kari's doing, and was also styled high like Mara and Rana's was. Clad in a leather jacket like her boyfriend, she was wearing a pink top with black jeans. Mimi was in a long green coat that covered her yellow skirt and grey tights, with a knitted green hat covering her light auburn hair which she had tied into a ponytail. Kari was wearing a purple top with a pink bodywarmer, with her own silvery scarf (which wasn't knitted by Lopmon, TK had bought it for her), her brown hair hanging to her shoulders.

The girls then began their song, to the appreciative cheers and whistles of the male patrons, but other than suggestive comments and encouragement nothing was thrown in the girls direction (though that could be due to SaberGarurumon, WarPlesiomon and MagnaSeraphimon being well publicised). The group enjoyed the girls song, and then Matt and Cody and the rest of the band came back on for the final song, and it was then that things started to go downhill. As the two groups sang, Hawong, his ever alert eyes ever watchful, noticed a group of people moving to the ends of the rows they had been sitting in. Curious, he squinted to see through the darkness, and then saw a small red lizard following one of the boys, who then nodded at the one at the front, who was backed up by a purple dinosaur.

"Tai!" he said, as the little red dinosaur opened his mouth.

"Pyro Sphere!"

Screams then began rending the air as the concert goers began scrambling away from where the little Digimon had fired his attack up into the air. On the stage, Matt rolled his eyes and exchanged a grin with Sora.

"One of these days I'll finish a concert without a Digimon attack." He said, and she grinned too.

Caught in the stampede of people who knew full well that a Digidestined concert with an attacking Digimon couldn't mean anything good, the others could do nothing but watch. Izzy's mouth dropped as he saw what he was seeing.

"Tai, they're Digidestined!" he exclaimed, his voice barely audible over the din.

"What?" Tai demanded, but there were indeed eight kids standing with their Digimon, and he suddenly realised not all of them were Rookie levels.

"That can't be good." Davis said.

"Who are they?" Biyomon asked in shock as the eight Digimon appeared from what seemed like nowhere.

The first was a strange dressed boy, his hair spikier but neater than Davis', dressed strangely. Beside him was a small purple, winged dinosaur who growled upon seeing them.

**Monodramon: This vicious and brave little Digimon is not someone you want to get on the wrong side of, his Cracking Bite is worse than rabies!**

Right beside him was a younger boy, dressed in a blue hoody, who, much to Kari's amusement (Tai, Davis and Rana wouldn't be happy), had the gall to be wearing yellow goggles over his messy brown hair. Beside him was his small red dinosaur Digimon, who was sniffing around hopefully and looking with interest at the other Digimon on the stage.

**Guilmon: A Virus type, this playful little Digimon may seem to be a kid at heart, but he has the heart of a true brawler, and his Pyro Sphere makes Pepper Breath look tame.**

On the level above were two more kids, one a guy and one a female. The guy was clad in an orange bodywarmer and black clothes, while the girl was wearing a white and blue tshirt with a broken heart on it, her hair styled to make her head look like a pineapple, while his was a slightly messy ebony style. A giggling white Digimon with long ears was on top of the boy's head, while a tall, yellow furred fox like Digimon appeared from nowhere behind the girl.

**Terriermon: A laid back and playful Digimon, that doesn't mean he can't fight when he needs to, his Terrier Tornado will knock you away!**

**Renamon: A very tough Rookie level, this foxy lady can unleashed a lethal Diamond Storm which is sure to push her point home.**

"Hey, it's a vanilla flavoured me!" Lopmon said in outrage as she and the others rushed down to ground level as she saw Terriermon.

Another two kids then emerged from the middle of the row, one a girl with reddish brown hair with a side ponytail. Clad in a yellow blouse, green dress and a warm coat, she looked nervously at the approaching members of the Eighteen while her partner, Leomon, laid a hand on her shoulder gently, giving her a reassuring nod. Beside her was a kid Cody's age, clad in a waterproof black jacket, black sweater with a green top, his dark brown hair spiked up at the front. Beside him was a small cat like Digimon with a tuft of red fur on his head, and a green collar hanging from his neck.

**Liollmon: A Holy little Digimon, his savage Lio Claw will leave you begging for mercy!**

The last two members then streamed from out of the rows. One was dressed in a black tshirt with a yellow cross on it, a cap covering his light brown hair and eyes. The other was clad in an open grey shirt and a red tshirt, with black hair and glasses, yet unlike his partner, who was backed up by a robotic Digimon, he didn't seem to have a Digimon in sight.

**Guardromon: This tank like Digimon can take a severe beating, but can dole it out just as well with his Guardian Barrage attack.**

On the bottom level, Ryo looked up to see Matt and the others rushing off the stage to confront them, while Tai and the others descended from above, their Digimon already getting ready to fight. Ryo hissed between his teeth, he didn't want to attack the Digidestined, but Kanalaka had been insistent, and seeing how they owed him, there wasn't much they could do.

"Ryo?" Monodramon asked, and hating himself, Ryo nodded, his heart heavy as he did so.

"Let's do it guys."

"Monodramon digivolve to...Strikedramon!"

"Guilmon digivolve to...Growlmon!"

"Terriermon digivolve to...Gargomon!"

"Renamon digivolve to...Kyubimon!"

"Liollmon digivolve to...Liamon!"

As their Rookie forms assumed their Champion forms, they were soon joined by the rest of his team, their partners Leomon and Guardromon preparing for battle.

"What the hell? They're Digidestined!" Cody exclaimed in shock as he watched the eight of them digivolve.

"They aren't the only ones, look!" Gatomon exclaimed as a group of four Digimon appeared from the sound stage, also charging towards the team.

Four Digimon then sprang down to the floor, the lead one growling at them.

**Dobermon: A vicious guard dog Champion level Digimon, he is loyal to his partner, and anyone who threatens him can expect to be on the end of his deadly Black Beam attack.**

However, Gatomon wasn't concerned with the dog like Digimon, it was the cat like Digimon beside him who was worrying her, for she was exactly the same as she was, only with a different colour and no tail ring.

"I prefer my colour scheme thank you very much." She said tartly, baring her claws.

**Mikemon: More volatile and untameable than Gatomon, this vicious wild cat's Neko Claw would send any dog away with its tail between its legs.**

"What the hell is going on down there?" Margaret asked as Hawong tried to steer her to the safety of the stairs.

"We can find out after we get off of the platform that's bound to collapse if they start shooting!" he said, shoving her into the stairwell.

The other two Digimon also vaulted over, one of them was Starmon, who took up position beside Dobermon. The other was a small armoured sweet potato looking Digimon who gave them a big grin as he jumped into battle.

**Yakiimon: A vegetable Rookie level Digimon, he wields a Beniazuma Uppercut that will make vegetarians tremble**

"Yakiimon digivolve to...RedVegiemon!"

"Tai, behind us!" Agumon cried as three more Digimon leapt into the auditorium, a small Syakomon flanked by two others, one an Agumon that looked as if he were made of Lego and the other a small green monkey.

**ToyAgumon: While he may look like he's made of Lego, this little Digimon wields a nasty Plastic Blaze attack that'll make you think twice before toy buying again!**

**Monmon: This little warrior Digimon wields a Banana Sling attack that gives you a banana spit right in the eye, don't upset this little monkey, or he'll drive you bananas.**

"Syakomon digivolve to...Gesomon!"

"ToyAgumon digivolve to...Flareizamon!"

"Monmon digivolve to...Ninjamon!"

Tai skidded to a stop the same time Matt did at the other end, and the two of them shrugged across at each other.

"Hey kid, whoever you are, you don't have to do this." Tai said gently, towards the one with Strikedramon who seemed to be in charge.

The guy, who was about the same age as Davis and Rana sighed.

"And believe me, we don't want to, but we don't have a choice. Get them guys!" he ordered and the various Champion levels leapt into battle.

"Everyone...!" Tai yelled to get all of their attention.

"Digivolve...!" Davis continued as the newcomer Digidestined's partners bore down on them.

"Hurry!" Rana encouraged as she skidded to a stop beside Davis, having seen her boyfriend safely away.

"Agumon digivolve to...Greymon!"

"Gabumon digivolve to...Garurumon!"

"Biyomon digivolve to...Birdramon!"

"Tentomon digivolve to...Kabuterimon!"

"Palmon digivolve to...Togemon!"

"Gomamon digivolve to...Ikkakumon!"

"Patamon digivolve to...Angemon!"

"Veemon digivolve to...ExVeemon!"

"Wormmon digivolve to...Stingmon!"

"Hawkmon digivolve to...Aquillamon!"

"Armadillomon digivolve to...Ankylomon!"

"Tsukimon digivolve to...Devidramon!"

"Candlemon digivolve to...Meramon!"

"Lopmon digivolve to...Turuiemon!"

"Betamon digivolve to...Seadramon!"

And with a confused roar, the two forces of Digimon ran at each other, leaping into battle.

Greymon growled menacingly at Growlmon, who coiled as if to strike.

"Nova Blast!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

The two attacks collided in mid air, there was a scarlet flash and the resulting energy wave knocked the two Digimon, Tai and Growlmon's partner off their feet.

Angemon then charged at Leomon, who gave a growl and easily met his attack with his sword.

"Why do you attack us? You're Digidestined!" Angemon said, and Leomon narrowed his eyes.

"We may be Digidestined but we aren't the same. Fist of the Beast King!"

"Hand of Fate!"

The two attacks slammed into each other, cancelling each other out and the girl looked up at her partner, but only after she sent an apologetic look to TK.

"Don't get hurt Leomon, and don't hurt him either." She said, and Leomon smiled.

"Don't worry Jeri, I won't." He promised as he swung his sword back to engage Angemon in battle.

Matt however was more concerned about the other group that had appeared. While the Digimon attacked one another behind him, he looked at where Dobermon and his friends had arrived from, squinting into the darkness.

"Black Beam!"

"Howling Blaster!"

The flash between the two Digimon's attacks lit up the room Matt was trying to see into, and his jaw dropped. As he had suspected, those four did indeed have partners. However, they weren't like other Digidestined.

They were adults, and were considerably older than even Joe, at least a good ten years.

"Tai, they have adult Digidestined!" he yelled, pointing and Tai and several of the others looked around in shock as they saw the four of them emerge from the room.

One was a man with blond hair, dark glasses and dressed in a black business suit. Behind him was a man with black hair dressed similarly, and flanking the two of them were two women clad in grey jumpsuits, one with short ginger hair and the other with long reddish hair.

"Since when were adults Digidestined?" Tai demanded.

"Get them." The leading man said, as the four Digimon sprang into action.

"This little box isn't big enough for the both of us, and frankly I was here first. And I'm decidedly cuter, so back off." Gatomon warned, readying her claws.

Mikemon snorted derisively.

"Litter box? It's easy to see you're a well trained house cat, waited on hand and foot. You're in my world now!" she hissed, and sprang at Gatomon and both cats started rolling around, their lethal claws scratching at each other frantically.

"Meteor Shower!"

"Red Chilli Pummel!"

RedVegiemon and Starmon both launched their attacks, forcing back Aquillamon and Meramon.

"Alright, this needs re-evaluated, and since when were adults Digidestined?" Meramon asked, firing his attack at Starmon, but the other Champion was already on the move.

"Awfully sorry about this old chap. Meteor Shower!"

"Fireball!"

Although Meramon was experienced and powerful, sometimes some attacks were just bigger, as he discovered as he was knocked flying backwards through the air, as a reluctant Starmon followed him.

"Stink Jet!" RedVegiemon yelled, sending a noxious cloud of yellow gas towards Aquillamon, who flew up into the air.

"Blast Rings!"

The attack slammed into the ground, knocking RedVegiemon through the air with a yelp of pained surprise.

"RedVegiemon!" the woman with ginger hair yelled, running to her fallen partner's side.

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

"Meteor Wing!"

The two fiery attacks crashed into each other, sending billowing flames outwards that made both Sora and Kyubimon's partner dive for cover.

"Why are you attacking us?" Sora demanded and the girl that looked like a pineapple shrugged.

"No idea, but a fight's a fight. Get her Kyubimon!"

"Dragon Wheel!"

Birdramon barely broke away from the blue fiery attack, but it slightly singed her tail feathers as she flew out of harm's way.

Behind them, Greymon and Angemon were still locked in their brawls with Growlmon and Leomon respectively, while Gatomon and Mikemon were still rolling around on the ground, their hisses filling the air. The other battles were continuing apace, and now Ikkakumon entered the battle as Gesomon squared up to him.

"Coral Crusher!"

"Harpoon Torpedo!"

The two attacks went unnoticed as Gesomon flapped his flippers at Ikkakumon, trying to swat him away but the other Digimon was much wiser, going nowhere near him and settling for another attack. Seething in annoyance, Gesomon retaliated with one of his own, the explosion making the area shake.

"That's weird, those three don't have any partners, yet they digivolved." Joe said to himself as the others continued to fight.

Flareizamon was already leaping up into the air, his blazing fists coming down at Devidramon.

"Flame Tower!"

Devidramon gave snarl of annoyance, flying out of the way of the cascading flames, before pulling his claws back to strike.

"Crimson Claw!"

His attack cut right through Flareizamon's, but the other Digimon bounced off the wall and slammed into Devidramon, tackling him to the ground, his burning body adding insult to injury.

Ninjamon was moving faster than Stingmon could see, and it was then that he felt a rush of air behind him.

"Ninja Knife Throw!" came the screeching voice and Stingmon yelled in pain as the knives dug into his back.

"Stingmon, look out!" Ken yelled and the insect harrumphed.

"Look out he says, have you ever tried stopping a ninja?" he asked irritably, swinging his blade around in the off chance he would hit them.

"Gargo Laser!"

"Gauntlet Claw!"

Turuiemon and Gargomon were going at it just as viciously as Gatomon and Mikemon, the rabbit and the dog locked in mortal combat.

"I really am sorry about this." Gargomon said lightly, and Turuiemon grimaced as she used her claws to block his pummel.

"Sorry about it? Why attack us in the first place?" she asked, kicking him in the stomach and knocking him away from her.

"He's sorry? Who apologises for attacking us, unless it's friendly fire? What's going on here?" Mara demanded as Turuiemon was forced back onto the defensive.

"No idea love, but we better figure it out fast, Seadramon isn't doing so well against Liamon is he?" Michael asked, wincing as Liamon bit down on Seadramon's body.

Strikedramon and ExVeemon were also locked in an all out battle, and to ExVeemon's annoyance it was him who was being forced onto the defensive, Strikedramon was good, damn good.

"Strike Claw!" he yelled, his sharp claws digging into ExVeemon's gut, so ExVeemon decided to adopt a different approach, flying into the air.

"V-Laser!"

The beam shot right for Strikedramon but he sprang into the air, easily avoiding the attack before once more slamming his claws into them.

"Alright am I the only one finding this insulting? We're the Eighteen for pity sake and these guys are still managing to put up a decent fight." Tai grumbled, and Rana frowned.

"You're right, it is insulting. How can there be so many other people in Japan who are Digidestined, and how powerful are they? Considerably apparently." She said, bemused, as Devidramon flew past, Flareizamon having just headbutted him in the stomach, as if her mood wasn't bad enough already.

"Guardian Barrage!" Guardromon yelled, firing a stream of missiles at Kabuterimon, who avoided them all deftly.

"If I can take down Andromon what makes you think you bother me? Electro Shocker!"

The attack went nowhere near him as Guardromon decided to use himself as a weapon, slamming hard into Kabuterimon and crashing him back down to earth with a feeble groan.,

"You also had Greymon and Garurumon helping you that time." Izzy pointed out quietly and Kabuterimon groaned as he got back to his feet.

"He doesn't need to know that does he?" he asked, and once more zoomed at his enemy, wind shearing Izzy as he did so.

Mimi looked around, annoyed. She had put a lot of work into planning this concert, and this lot had ruined it before it was finished. She quickly glanced over to where Ankylomon was protecting Hawong and Margaret and she was just about to tell Togemon to go and relieve him so he could fight (loathe though she was to admit it, Togemon's attack meant she couldn't fight ranged battles as well, she wasn't built for it) when the new kid who hadn't sent out a Digimon pulled something out of his pocket, and to her great surprise a tiny little pink Digimon with big green eyes, a collar and a little red heart on his chest flew out.

"Togemon, who is that?" she asked in astonishment upon seeing the little Digimon.

**MarineAngemon: Don't let her small size fool you, this little sea nymph is actually a Mega level, who can both heal and harm with her Kahuna Waves attack.**

"A Mega level?"

"Hello hello!" the little Digimon said cheerfully zooming around Togemon's head.

"Sorry about this." Kenta said, and Mimi looked at him in confusion.

"Sorry for what, attacking us?" she demanded, and he nodded.

"Pretty much yeah. Oh, and for what she's doing." The bespectacled (who had a slight resemblance to Joe when he was younger) kid said, pointing to his partner, who, giggling, had appeared behind Togemon and was still looking for her.

"Kahuna Waves!" she cried loudly, making Togemon leap in fright and then get hit by the attack, knocking her face first into the ground.

"Mimi, have you seen my dignity? I had it at the start of the night..." Togemon lamented as MarineAngemon giggled behind her.

"Why apologise for attacking us? It doesn't make any sense. Unless..." Mimi said, a flashback making her wonder if she was right, and Togemon grinned.

"With you Mimi, this is getting boring anyway." Togemon said, and the kid and his little partner cocked their heads curiously as Mimi's green crest blazed to life.

"Togemon digivolve to...Lillymon!"

The little Digimon looked at Lillymon zoomed at her, her face determined.

"Flower Wreath!"

"Whoops a daisy. Literally too!" MarineAngemon said cheerfully as the wreath, much too big for her, dropped to the floor, and Lillymon pouted at Mimi.

"No fair, she's too wee for it to work!" she moaned, and Mimi frowned, something definitely wasn't right, besides the little Mega was far too small and playful to be affected by a virus. So just what was going on here?

"Pyro Blaster!" Growlmon roared, as Greymon charged at him with his horns.

"Growlmon, move!" his partner yelled, but Growlmon didn't move fast enough and the charge caught him in the stomach, flipping him into the air, before slamming him back down to the ground with a sickening crash.

"Growlmon!" his partner yelled as his digivice blazed to existence.

"Growlmon digivolve to...WarGrowlmon!"

"Whoa, they can go to Ultimate level!" Greymon exclaimed in surprise and Tai rolled his eyes. Typical, he might have known the one time the Sovereigns were helpful it would come back and bite them all in the ass.

"Alright, this battle's getting nowhere!" Tai complained and it truly was.

All of them were around equal in power, and added to the fact that none of them wanted to be fighting, their lot for fear of killing the kids and their partners, the other lot for whatever reason meant that no killing strikes were being committed or even crippling strikes, it was like watching a fight in slow motion due to the Digimon not wanting to hurt each other. But if they were going to get any answers, they had to change things and do it quickly. The new Digidestined and their adult counterparts were out of the way and various digital brawls were blocking them from getting to them. So, it was time to clear the playing field.

"Digivolve!" Tai yelled across the room.

"Greymon digivolve to...MetalGreymon!"

Just as WarGrowlmon had been about to attack, MetalGreymon appeared before him, his claw already rising to continue the battle.

Dobermon and Garurumon were rolling around on the ground, neither gaining any advantage when Garurumon perked his ears up at hearing Tai's order.

"He's right Garurumon, take it to the next level." Matt ordered and his partner nodded, springing back from Dobermon to do so.

"Garurumon digivolve to...WereGarurumon!"

The man with blond hair looked at him contemptuously as he saw Garurumon digivolve, and with a nod to Dobermon, the digivice on his waist blazed to life.

"Dobermon digivolve to...Cerberumon!"

Gesomon saw the others digivolving, and after whipping Ikkakumon away with his tentacles decided that he too would join the effort, after all, Kanalaka wanted to see how far they could go.

"Gesomon digivolve to...MarineDevimon!"

Ikkakumon growled as he saw his opponent assume his new form, and Joe nodded, looking around the room worriedly.

"This is getting us nowhere, do it Ikkakumon!"

"Ikkakumon digivolve to...Zudomon!"

"Dark Deluge!"

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

The two attacks slammed together, black spray covering the area, but the two fights closest to them didn't notice as the new Digidestined Digimon, at least the ones in the group of three they were assuming were Digidestined, went for the next level as well.

"Ninjamon digivolve to...MetalMamemon!"

"Flareizamon digivolve to...Volcdoramon!"

"Metal Smirk Bomb!"

"Volcanic Fount!"

Stingmon and Devidramon roared as their bodies were blown across the room, finishing the job of collapsing the stage which MetalGreymon and WarGrowlmon had done such a good job of wrecking.

"Stingmon, are you alright?" Ken asked, as his partner got back to his feet, not at all happy.

"Alright, no more mr nice guy!" he said, and zoomed right for MetalMamemon who beckoned him towards him mockingly.

"Stingmon digivolve to...Dinobeemon!"

"Speed Slashes!" he yelled, and the mocking MetalMamemon was suddenly thrown into the air, caught by surprise as Dinobeemon unleashed his attack.

"Devidramon, you ok under all that buddy?" Rana asked, running to the ruined stage, and she then saw his four blazing eyes flash open and her crest began to glow.

"Devidramon digivolve to...Megadramon!"

"Dark Side Attack!"

Thousands of missiles then flew into Volcdoramon, who roared in alarm as the missiles blasted him up the stairs of the ruined auditorium as her large dragon like partner bore down on his opponent.

Kabuterimon was slammed back into the ground by Guardromon, who shrugged at him.

"I think to use the human term, this is just business, I assure you, I take no joy in batting you around." He assured him and Kabuterimon groaned.

"Could have fooled me."

"Guardromon!" his partner yelled as a ruined chunk of the level above fell towards him.

"Kazu!" Guardromon yelled in panic, but it was clear he wouldn't make it in time, his rockets were out and he had to walk.

"Kabuterimon, save him, go to it!" Izzy yelled as Kabuterimon got back to his feet.

"Kabuterimon digivolve to...MegaKabuterimon!"

MegaKabuterimon then flew low, seized Guardromon, who yelped in protest and blazed towards the falling rubble.

"Oh I see, that's very clever! Guardian Barrage!" Guardromon yelled, blasting apart the rubble, making his partner sigh in relief.

"Thanks pal. And to you!" he said cheerfully, to MegaKabuterimon, who looked at Izzy in confusion.

"What is going on here?" Izzy asked, and his partner put his hands up in a 'don't ask me' gesture, forgetting he had a hold of Guardromon, dropping him to the ground with a dull clang.

"Ouch!"

"Oops...sorry." MegaKabuterimon said sheepishly as the boy called Kazu scowled up at him.

Mikemon and Gatomon finally separated, hissing and spitting at each other before once again springing at their opponents, but this time the digivices were reacting (and in Gatomon's case the crest).

"Gatomon digivolve to...Angewomon!"

"Mikemon digivolve to...Persiamon!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

"Helter Skelter!"

Seadramon hissed as Liamon came around for another pass, this guy was seriously not messing around, though something about his eyes reminded Betamon of a curious cat rather than a vicious one, and then it clicked. He was playing, roughly, but he was playing, otherwise he'd have finished this ages ago. Playing or not though, it still hurt, and if he liked to play dirty so he could he.

"Seadramon digivolve to...MegaSeadramon!"

"Hey, no fair!" Liamon protested, jumping out of the way before pouncing towards MegaSeadramon's head, but this time he was ready for him.

"Thunder Javelin!"

The blast caught the lion like Digimon in the chest, crashing him to the earth, and this time Liamon gave a furious roar.

"Liamon, are you ok?" his partner asked desperately, and he nodded.

"Yeah he just likes playing rough that's all, two can play at that game though." Liamon assured him, pouncing once again.

"Liamon digivolve to...LoaderLiomon!"

"Loader Morningstar!" he yelled, swinging the iron ball on his tail around, and MegaSeadramon grinned, now this fight would be interesting.

"You as tired as I am?" Gargomon asked, and Turuiemon nodded.

"Yeah, why don't we just pack this in and you lot can tell us about yourselves?" she asked hopefully, because she actually was tired, and despite being a cheap knock off of her in his Rookie form, she was actually quite growing to like him.

"Love to, MarineDevimon might not approve though and I don't want to cross him." He said, and she sighed sadly.

"Thought not." She said, as they once more went at it.

"Better luck next time old boy!" Starmon encouraged as Meramon fired an attack at him which missed badly, making Meramon scowl.

"Come on Meramon you can aim better than that!" Sam yelled, and he glared at her, and she went pale.

"I mean 'Meramon, Meramon, he's our man if he can't do it no one can'." She said sheepishly and he nodded approvingly.

"That's better." He said, as her crest blazed to life.

"Meramon digivolve to...SkullMeramon!"

"Well I say that's rather fancy, should I give it a whirl too?" Starmon asked.

"Starmon digivolve to...SuperStarmon!"

"Oh give me a break!" SkullMeramon complained as they got back to their battle.

"There's more to life than fighting!" Sora tried to reason with the younger girl but she just scoffed.

"Really? Show her Kyubimon." She ordered, and her fox Digimon spiralled away from Birdramon, landing gracefully before glaring up at her foe.

"Kyubimon digivolve to...Taomon!"

Before Birdramon could do anything, small paper spells were peppering her, blasting her backwards, and Sora cursed.

"Teach this pair some manners!" she barked in annoyance, who was this chick, ratting on her Digimon?

"Birdramon digivolve to...Garudamon!"

"Talisman of Light!"

"Wing Blade!"

Taomon was quickly forced into retreat, and her partner was scowling, making Sora grin.

"Hey, want to talk?" she challenged and the girl fumed even more.

"RedVegiemon, back off, he's too strong for you!" his partner begged, and he growled.

"Poppycock. Boost me!" he said and she sighed and rolled her eyes as Aquillamon came back around for another pass.

"RedVegiemon digivolve to...Pumpkinmon!"

"Trick or Treat!"

A large pumpkin then dropped on Aquillamon's head, blinding him.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" he asked in shock, flying off course and promptly slamming into MetalGreymon's claw.

"Hey, watch where you're flying!" MetalGreymon scolded.

"You try flying around with a pumpkin on your head and see how well you fair." Aquillamon retorted irritably, and WarGrowlmon looked at him as he flew off.

"He seems grumpy." He commented, and MetalGreymon looked at his claw then rapped WarGrowlmon on the head with it.

"Ow, that hurt, what did you do that for?"

"To find out if it hurt." MetalGreymon responded, and WarGrowlmon growled and thumped his own metal clad arm onto his opponent's head, making him yelp in pain.

"Does he often do that with guys he's fighting?" WarGrowlmon's partner called over to Tai, who shook his head in response.

"Nah, your guy must be special." He said, bemused, as the two Digimon began fighting each other again.

Despite his initial success, Strikedramon wasn't getting very far now, and with a nod from Ryo, he sprang back from ExVeemon, who was bearing down on him like a bat out of hell.

"Strikedramon digivolve to...Cyberdramon!"

"Time out!" ExVeemon cried, seeing the much more formidable looking form that had just appeared before him.

"Desolation Claw!"

Cerberumon tackled WereGarurumon, who was knocked from view allowing Yamaki to look across at Ryo.

"I think we've done enough. Time to finish this." He said curtly, and Ryo nodded, he had never wanted to do this in the first place.

"Cyberdramon, time to get out of here!" he yelled, and the dragon nodded, before effortlessly knocking ExVeemon away.

"I don't like that dude Davis." He moaned as he landed, and Davis scowled as Cyberdramon hefted Ryo onto his shoulder as they all made for the bottom of the ruined stage.

"He's right, it's time we end this. You thinking what I'm thinking?" Tai asked, and Davis nodded, eyes narrowed at the various Digidestined, including the adults, and the Digimon that were running to the ruined stage, forcing the ones on their side to get out of the way before they were crushed.

"Yeah, we need to get our hands on one of them, then we can call them all off and find out what the hell is going on." He said, and Tai nodded.

"Alright guys, let's finish this!" Tai ordered as they all ran after them, both sets of Digimon readying themselves to attack each other.

"Giga Blaster!"

"Wolf Claw!"

"Wing Blade!"

"Horn Buster!"

"Flower Cannon!"

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

"V-Laser!"

"Speed Slashes!"

"Blast Rings!"

"Tail Hammer!"

"Dark Side Attack!"

"Metal Fireball!"

"Gauntlet Claw!"

"Thunder Javelin!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Emerald Flame!"

"Talisman of Light!"

"Guardian Barrage!"

"Kahuna Waves!"

"Dark Deluge!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

"Helter Skelter!"

"Desolation Claw!"

"Metal Smirk Bomb!"

"Trick or Treat!"

"Volcanic Fount!"

"Superstar Soaker!"

"Gargo Laser!"

"Loader Morningstar!"

The wall of attacks slammed into each other, resulting in a massive blinding explosion that flattened what remained of the auditorium and sent all the kids and the Digimon flying in a maelstrom of rubble and debris. As the dust cleared, they looked up to see everyone but Taomon had returned to their normal forms, and the kid in charge gave them a respectful nod, as opposed to the glare the adult in charge gave them, before Taomon raised a hand with a spell in it.

"Talisman Spell!"

A large clear bubble then surrounded them all, and with a gesture the bubble shot into the air and out of sight, leaving the battle site far behind.

Their partners all returned to their normal forms, and looked at their human partners, and then they all looked at each other as well, all of them staring at each other in shock, disbelief and exhaustion as they sat there in the rubble. They then became aware of a noise and turned to see a furious and dusty Hawong and a slightly scared but slightly impressed looking Margaret, and it was then that Hawong asked the question that was on all of their minds:

"What the hell was that about?"

**And we're back! I wasnt meant to start this until I finished my data squad story but it wouldnt leave me alone so I figured I'll do the first two chapters then go back to everything else that needs written.**

**So we've started once again, and events are already on the move. What happened at the start, who attacked Gennai and his friends, and just what were they doing? The guy in charge of the attack is the big bad from 09, a most nasty piece of work.**

**And what the hell is going on in the real world? The war isnt going anywhere, weapons that can kill Digimon are becoming commonplace and to top it all off, theres digimon coming and going as they please, vanishing in some cases and the war protestors are making a bigger nuisance of themselves than usual. And just what is Kanalaka up to? How did he and his adult friends get their hands on Digimon, and what does it mean for us?**

**And then we have this mysterious group, the Primordials, who are this lot, and more importantly what are they capable of? (Believe me, youll see just what one of them is capable of next chapter)**

**And then the kids themselves, so much has happened to them since 07 and in so many ways, what will happen next? Who is the mysterious girl in Kari's visions (im sure the clever clogs among you will figure it out)? Will the brewing storm within the ranks come to pass? Things may have improved in some ways for the kids but in others theyre just as bad as ever, poor Sam is having a lot of daddy issues, Rana's got her own problems too, internal divisions are on the rise, its all go isnt it?**

**And the war, major offensives are afoot, what does the future hold?  
**

**But the question everyone wants to know is, who are these new Digidestined and where do they, and more importantly their adult counterparts, fit into everything? As you may have spotted from their partners, they are of course adventure equivalents of those in Tamers (handy that I'm watching that again right now), aside from the one partnered with Liollmon (and isnt he a cute little Digimon), who is in honour of a very helpful youtube friend who had been a great source of Digimon advice.**

**So, we've begun 08 (I now need to think of a name), and we've got a long way to go, so for now and until the next update please read and review, and see if you recognise the dude in the story pic because he's one of the mysterious Primordials!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon**

Chapter Two

Losing Control

"You're sure of this?" Ebonwumon asked grimly, and Zhquiamon nodded.

"Yes. The Guardians' castle has fallen, all within are dead, the Digi-eggs are gone and there's no sign of Gennai among the dead." He reported and the four other Sovereigns exchanged dark worried looks, grim muttering filling the room.

"Is there any sign of who attacked them?" Baihumon asked, and Zhquiamon shook his head.

"No, all we saw was the dead bodies of the Guardians, butchered. Whoever attacked them meant business, and didn't stop until they got what they wanted. Which puts us in a very difficult position." He said, and the Sovereigns all nodded, looking grim.

"Are you sure all of the Guardians are dead?" Azulongmon asked and Zhquiamon scowled.

"As far as I can see, but remember, Gennai was creating more clones of himself since he got there, there's no telling exactly how many there were. And what's more, there was so sign of Gennai himself in the castle at all, which means he could very well have been dragged off." He said, just as the door to their sanctum opened and BlackWarGreymon appeared in front of two Mekanorimon, who were carrying a wounded and flickering Troopmon on a stretcher.

"This is the only survivor of the attack." BlackWarGreymon reported, ushering the wounded Troopmon up to the Sovereign's seeing stone.

Ebonwumon looked at the dying Digimon and shook his head sadly, they didn't have long at all and there was nothing they could do.

"You have fought bravely friend. Show us your bravery one last time, tell us who did this to you." Baihumon urged and the Troopmon groaned as he turned to look at the dog Sovereign.

"He has been taken prisoner..." he gasped, clutching the widening hole in his stomach, and Baihumon looked at him in alarm.

"Who took Gennai prisoner, who attacked you?" he asked, but before he could say anything else, the Digimon disappeared into data, making Azulongmon curse.

"Blast, we needed what he knew."

"We know enough old friend. We know Gennai has been taken, that is what matters, now we can make plans." Fanglongmon said, nodding in dismissal to BlackWarGreymon who took the two Mekanorimon and left the room, shutting the door behind them.

As soon as the door was shut, Azulongmon turned to the others.

"We must now take steps, we must alert Alphamon to take the Knights and the weapon to a new location, we cannot run the risk that their security may be compromised, if the Ultimate Evil gets its hands on that weapon then all of us are surely doomed." He said urgently, to the nods of Ebonwumon.

"I agree. I do not wish to think that Gennai would betray us, but he may have no choice. We must take action, if Gennai breaks and the enemy finds out about what we are building, it will stop at nothing to get its hands on it. I agree, the knights must be moved." He said, and Baihumon gave them a scolding look.

"Gennai would never betray us." He said firmly, but Zhquiamon sent him a look.

"He may not have a choice old friend. I agree with them, the knights must be moved. But it still puts us in a dangerous position. Gennai knows a lot more than just about what the knights are up to." He said worriedly.

"He knows a lot about us, our plans, the Digidestined, this is a catastrophe." Ebonwumon said, to general nods of agreement.

"If our unknown enemy makes Gennai talk in any way about anything, then we're all up a gum tree. We need to take action, and do so quickly. We must act. An unknown enemy has got his hands on one of the most knowledgeable, learned and individually powerful beings in the digital world. The knowledge he has on the Sovereigns and on the Digidestined is next to unrivalled, and the possibility of that knowledge now falling into enemy hands is now a very real and very worrying threat. If Gennai is made to talk, and I'm assuming that whoever attacked his castle is no gentleman hence he could very well torture Gennai into giving up information he shouldn't, he could undo everything. We are left with three options my friends." Fanglongmon said, and the other Sovereigns looked at him nervously before he continued.

"The first is the most difficult, we have to change all the plans we have laid down for the coming conflict, but I don't think that's a feasible solution. Creating the weapon drained us of a lot of our power and restarting will further weaken us. It will also involve a lot of work that we simply don't have time for since the Ultimate Evil has become so powerful recently. So I'm afraid that while it is feasible it is impractical. The second is the most preferable. We find him, find out who holds him and we rescue him, and hopefully the Digi-eggs before its too late. Thirdly, we take extreme action and ensure Gennai's silence. We kill him." Fanglongmon concluded, to the shocked looks of the others.

"Is this what it's come to? Something goes wrong so we start exterminating our allies?" Ebonwumon demanded and Fanglongmon growled.

"I don't like it any more than you do. But we are at war, and Gennai has been captured by the enemy. He knows enough to destabilise our entire war effort, and as a result we must take action to make sure he doesn't tell what he knows. As we cannot change our plans in the time we have left, we must make do with the plans that we have, which is either rescue or assassination. We are at war. Since Daemon's defeat, the Ultimate Evil's influence has spread, not waned. The Dark Area has nearly tripled in size, there are rumours that the Seven are regaining their lost power and will soon ride out of the Dark Area. Evil is spreading back into the continents of the world, our power is waning by the day and the war in the real world strengthens our enemy's power. We don't have the luxury of taking the low road anymore, we must be firm and decisive, and act." He concluded, hating how far things had come that they were now having to consider killing Gennai.

Azulongmon scowled, things were bad enough as it was and now they potentially had to kill Gennai. However, while their power had certainly waned, it was not so diminished yet that they couldn't at least exasperate the plans of the Ultimate Evil, but Fanglongmon clearly had something else up his sleeve, as he was looking nervously around the room, waiting for one of them to challenge him.

"Say we agree to this, how do we plan to carry this out? We all have our own missions to carry out, and we're going to have to watch the northern frontier now that we've lost Gennai unless you plan to reduce the amount of protection around the weapon." Baihumon said, and Fanglongmon nodded.

"I know that. Which is why I intend to ask the Eighteen for help." He said, and the reaction was as he had expected.

Azulongmon gave a furious roar that shook the entire room at the mention of the Digidestined kids who they were all depending upon. Ebonwumon groaned and glowered at Fanglongmon while Baihumon gave a low growl of his own. Zhquiamon gave an exasperated screech and all Fanglongmon did was roll his eyes until they had stopped.

"Are you through?" he asked in a bored voice, to the scowls of the others.

"You want to work with the Eighteen after everything that's happened? If we ask them for a favour they'll tell us to take a long walk off a short pier." Ebonwumon said, though beneath the ire there was a tinge of sadness to his statement.

"Exactly. Our relationship with the Digidestined was once good! We got on, we worked together against the darkness that threatened existence. Well now that darkness is the strongest it has ever been, and every day it gets stronger. I know they are partly to blame for this state of affairs, but we are just as bad. And quite frankly, they are too powerful now. We need them on our side, or else we will all fall. It's time to put the past behind us, and build bridges. We must make our peace with the Digidestined. It is the only way." He intoned and Azulongmon growled.

"It is not the only way, they have shown that they want nothing more to do with us. They made their bed, they can lie in it." He said stubbornly, only to have Fanglongmon roar at him angrily.

"Enough Azulongmon! Much of our current situation is due to your belligerence with them." He snarled, and the dragon growled in response.

"My belligerence? They are arrogant, disrespectful little children who have the gall to give us orders and make demands of us, us, the Digimon Sovereign!" he thundered, only to the exasperated growl of Baihumon.

"As we have done to them since they arrived here, and we have continued to do so without admitting that they have grown up. They have become young adults, they aren't kids anymore, yet we still treat them as kids that we can boss around and manipulate, and the fact that we've been less than forthcoming with them has unsurprisingly earned their ire. We haven't dealt with them fairly, and as a result, they haven't dealt with us fairly. And to be frank, they are quite justified in their arrogance, they are now strong enough to defeat us should it come to that." He said with a scowl, and Ebonwumon gave him a scolding look.

"It hasn't gone that far yet, yes we don't get on anymore, but they wouldn't kill us. Teach us a lesson certainly, but kill us, no." He said, and Azulongmon scowled.

"I don't trust them. Given half a chance, they would kill us." He said dismissively and Zhquiamon sent him a filthy look.

"I can't believe you think that! I know things have not been good with them for quite some time, but they wouldn't kill us, if for no other reason than they know that despite our interactions recently, we are allies in this war." he screeched, and Azulongmon scoffed.

"Believe what you will. We have reached a parting of the ways my friends. The Digidestined no longer trust us, and given half a chance they will turn on us, you know I'm right." He said, but Fanglongmon overrode him.

"Whatever our feelings, this has gone on far enough. We all need to be working together, not having our silly little spats, they're risking everything. We must make peace with the Digidestined. Besides, we need their help. We cannot investigate what happened to Gennai on our own. They can get places we can't, and hopefully will be able to defend against whoever it is." He said, and the others all looked at each other, before Baihumon gave a sigh.

"And there is something else that we cannot deny. More and more Digimon are refusing to listen to us until we mend fences with the Digidestined. After all, they wield the power of the gods, the power of the Eighteen, and their Digimon can assume super form. That combined with the fact that many of our closest supporters are also very loyal to them means that our own power is waning considerably through our own doing. We are finding it harder and harder to remain in control of the digital world, and people are looking more to them as their leaders than us." He explained, and Fanglongmon nodded doggedly.

"Exactly. The people are turning against us, dissatisfaction and resentment are playing a part, as is fear. We must make our peace with the Digidestined." He insisted, and Ebonwumon shook his head wearily.

"I know you wish to mend fences old friend, but they are young, impetuous and stubborn. They may not wish to mend fences with us." He warned, and Fanglongmon nodded.

"Exactly. Which is why I will tell them anything they want to know. And besides, as we haven't spoken since they gave us the other Relics, I think it is time we return them to them. Perhaps that will get me enough weight that we can actually sit down and talk." He said stubbornly, and Azulongmon chuckled.

"You truly are a stubborn old creature. Very well, try and reason with them, not that I think it will get you very far. They're lazy, arrogant and disrespectful." He grumbled, and Zhquiamon chuckled.

"So you keep telling us Azulongmon. And loathe though you are to admit it, and dangerous to us as it is, part of you does admire them for it. As I do." He said, and the dragon just scowled.

"Very well. Go if you must Fanglongmon. Try to reason with them, but do not trust to hope. We will keep an eye on things here." Azulongmon said, and the large lizard nodded respectfully.

"Very good. I shall head to their world and have it out with them. Wish me luck." He said as he plodded off, and Azulongmon looked after him as he left, his face clouded with worry.

"I have a horrible feeling old friend that luck isn't going to do you much good." He said grimly, and he noticed how none of the other three contradicted him.

XX

It was said that some people could predict a storm with just signs in the air. Tai could predict an oncoming temper tantrum from Hawong in much the same way. The first clue was the fact that only Margaret was around, and the fact that she was sitting firmly on her side of the door, usually it as obvious that she could easily drift in and out but today she seemed to be made of stone. Secondly, Hawong was sitting at his desk, his eyes wild and furious. Thirdly, he, Davis and Rana had all been summoned which meant they were in for a real drubbing, and worst of all, the leader of the children who had been kidnapped by Oikawa and had become Digidestined was also present, Hiroshi.

After Diaboromon's last defeat, Hawong had also taken them under his control, though due to their age and the fact that all of them moved in a different circle, he hadn't taken over their group nearly as effectively. The fact that they were much less powerful and didn't draw attention to themselves the way the Eighteen had had also helped them escape Hawong's wrath, and as a result he had allowed them to continue with what they were doing, provided that when they became sixteen they started doing as he instructed, and so far, that idea had worked, even with the war, because they were underage other than helping with clearing up there was no real reason for Hiroshi's lot to become involved as the Eighteen were at the beck and call of the prime minister.

That was now over, because now all the known leaders of the Digidestined in Japan were now in Hawong's office, and he did not look happy.

"How could it be that there's a powerful group of Digidestined out there that you don't know about?" he demanded angrily, and Rana, predictably, narrowed her eyes, though she was joined by the other two.

"Quite easily actually. Do you have any idea how many kids in the world could be Digidestined? Anyone who has ever seen a Digimon could potentially be a Digidestined. And I don't just even mean evil ones. Any kid who sees one of ours in the street could become a Digidestined. We're up there defending the country every time we're attacked, that could easily make new Digidestined as well. Not to mention all the kids who were caught up in the original fight between Greymon and Parrotmon, everything Myotismon did, every invasion since then and of course Diaboromon's attacks, all of them could have made these kids Digidestined." She explained, and Hawong scowled.

"And that isn't all. When we delivered the power of the Megacore, we didn't have to go to each of them individually to do it, we just released it. We couldn't do that in foreign countries but we could do it here, so we could easily have missed loads of Digidestined, there's no telling how many of us there are in the country." Davis added, making Rana smile smugly as he backed her up.

"Excuse me prime minister, but what am I doing here?" Hiroshi asked nervously.

"You are here because you are Digidestined, and quite frankly, your group has flaunted your responsibilities long enough." The prime minister said irritably as he glared out of the window after he got to his feet.

Hiroshi looked hesitantly at Tai, who shook his head and looked at Hawong, who turned back to them, his eyes narrowed.

"The point is, the press is in an uproar. A charity concert attacked by unknown and uncontrolled Digidestined who we have no idea what they're after, and there are enough of them to successfully challenge you lot, what am I suppose to think?" Hawong demanded, and Tai looked at a nervous Hiroshi.

"We don't need Hiroshi's group to help us if that's what you're worried about." He said, earning him a scathing look from Hawong.

"Not from where I'm standing. You have led me to believe that you lot are the most powerful Digidestined in the world, but those Digidestined fought you and as they escaped I'm rather led to believe that you aren't." He sneered, and Rana had to suppress a grim flash of triumph, as far as she was concerned this was Hawong's true face. However, she did restrain Davis before he furiously launched himself at Hawong, she felt that it was her birthright to be able to smack Hawong one day.

"We're more than capable of dealing with this new group of Digidestined." He snarled, and Hawong arced an eyebrow.

"Really? Then how did they escape?" he asked, and Tai rolled his eyes.

"Because we weren't trying to hurt them. They aren't evil Digimon like Daemon or Diaboromon, they belong to partners, and we know full well that it would destroy us if we lost our Digimon. And besides, they didn't want to attack us, they even apologised for doing it, which believe me, is a novel thing for people trying to kill us to do. And we can't just kill them, we need to know more about them, find out who they are, what they're after, and why they attacked us in the first place." He explained, and Hawong scowled.

"So you've suddenly lost your spines?" he demanded, and Rana glared.

"No, we did our job, we protected you, and because we didn't know who they were or what they wanted, we held back, that's all. But we will find these new Digidestined, and if we need to, we'll stop them." He promised and Hawong nodded.

"See that you do. And now that Hiroshi will be joining you, I expect he will be brought up to scratch, the last thing I need is one of his lot getting killed. You may go." Hawong said irritably, and before their mouths got them into trouble they left the office.

"I'm glad to see he's returned to form." Rana said scathingly, and Tai glowered along with her.

"I think he's just worried about those kids who attacked us." He said, and Davis scoffed.

"No, he's annoyed because he doesn't control them like he does us." He said grouchily, and Tai had to admit, that probably was part of it.

"What good does he think we'll do?" Hiroshi asked nervously as the four of them left the government building, and Tai scowled.

"I don't know Hiroshi. Just go and round up your group, we'll see what you can do, if nothing else you can help when we get invaded." He said, the kid nodded before trotting off, and Rana shook her head in disgust as a small flurry of snow started to fall.

"His group are too young to be doing this. Besides, what does Hawong think we need them for? We can reach Super for Christ sake, none of his group can even reach Mega!" she said in disgust and Davis shrugged, patting her hand as he did so, which didn't go unnoticed by Tai.

"They're older than we all were when we first went to the digital world, and they can digivolve their partners, and some of them are quite handy. And any extra help for us can only be good." He reasoned, but Tai didn't look convinced.

"Not if we spend our time protecting them it won't be. They haven't been in combat before, all they really do is help clean up after the attack and with the occasional phantom Digimon, not much else, putting them on the front lines with us could get them killed." He said worriedly, and Rana looked at her cousin.

"So what do we do?" she asked, and he sighed.

"We divide and conquer. Alright, Matt and I will train up Hiroshi's group, try to bring them up to speed. Davis, find those Digidestined that attacked us, Hawong's right about one thing, we need them found and fast so get on it. Rana, be there when Yolei and Izzy get onto the Sovereigns and then call me when you get on to them. I want to talk to them." He said and started to walk away, when Davis called after him.

"She could easily talk to them for you, you have to trust someone sometime Tai." He said, partly earnest and partly teasing, but all he received was a glare in return.

"And I'm trusting her to make sure Izzy does his job. I'll talk to the Sovereigns myself, remind them their existence depends on us being in a good mood with them, and that good mood means they don't keep anything from us, like adult Digidestined. Don't you have a job to do?" he asked irritably before heading off, Agumon falling into step behind him as he did so, and both Davis and Rana sighed.

"You know, I remember a time when he wasn't always a bad tempered jackass." She lamented, and Davis nodded.

"I remember when he trusted us, that was nice too." He said mournfully as Veemon and Tsukimon appeared.

"What's up with you guys?" Veemon asked and Davis sighed.

"Tai. He doesn't let us do anything remotely like we used to do anymore. I've been assigned evil Digidestined tracking duty." He grumbled, and Rana smiled softly.

"At least that actually has a purpose, it's a lot more glamorous than calling the Sovereigns to tell them Tai wants to talk to them. Yours is actually important. Maybe he trusts you a bit more." She reasoned and Davis laughed mirthlessly.

"After everything recently? I wouldn't be surprised if he's just having me look for them so he can take the others and go and deal with it himself." He said, and by others he meant the rest of the original eight, for the last eighteen months it seemed more and more that everyone who basically hadn't fought the Dark Masters was being forced out of every decision making process possible. Davis and Rana had also been subordinated to the original eight, and while they didn't mind that per se, considering they had basically been commanders, being made into errand runners and troops was a bit infuriating to say the least. The others, Matt, TK and Kari in particular were trying to soothe out the growing resentment between the parties but it wasn't going very well. Davis, Rana and most of their group were coming to resent basically being treated as the dogsbodies of the original eight. Yeah they hadn't been there in the digital world originally but they had more than proved their worth dozens of times and what was basically a long drawn out and subtle degradation was starting to annoy them all, and if Tai didn't watch it, it could explode in his face.

"Right, I'm away to become Tai's private secretary. Good hunting." Rana said, squeezing Davis' hand before leaving with Tsukimon and Davis sighed as he looked at her retreating back.

"She'll come around one day Davis don't worry." Veemon assured him and Davis looked at him sadly.

"You don't have to tell me that every time you know. Besides, she's with Derek now, and I want her to be happy. So, I'll just soldier on." He said, and Veemon gave him an appraising look.

"You know Davis, you've really grown up." He said proudly, remembering back to the mess that Ghoulmon had created two years before.

Davis grinned.

"Thanks pal. Now, let's go hunt us some evil Digidestined who've upset the Prime Minister." He said as they headed off to find their mysterious attackers.

XX

The two pronged tower building he had bought with funds from the Russians and Chinese was of great help to Kanalaka. An extensive underground facility existed right beneath it, where Hypnos had set up a lot of its functions and needs and wants, and while the command centre was above ground everything else was out of sight of prying eyes. And the over ground part of the building was of great help to Kanalaka in and of itself, because it kept the prying eyes of Ryo's group from finding out what was going on down in the basement. And that was very handy, because he sincerely doubted that Ryo and his group would remain loyal to him if they knew what was going on in the basement. After all, the kids currently sitting opposite him were very fond of their Digimon, and of the strange creatures in general so would most likely not appreciate what he and Yamaki were doing. To be frank most of the adult's Digimon didn't like it either, but still, they didn't do anything to try and stop them, and he didn't think the kids would be quite as lenient.

"Apparently Hawong has summoned the other Digidestined in Japan since he now knows about us." Ryo said, scowling across at Kanalaka who waved his hand soothingly.

"He's just done it as a precaution my boy. And besides, according to my information none of them can go beyond Ultimate, which means they can't pose a threat to you even if they get lucky. They're untrained and inexperienced, they will pose no threat to you." He assured them and Jeri looked at him nervously.

"But we don't want to pose a threat to anyone. The Eighteen aren't the enemy." She said nervously and Takato nodded.

"Jeri's right. And we actually don't pose a threat to them, they could have easily destroyed us." He said, and Henry nodded.

"Yeah. We may be able to reach Mega but they can reach Super, and everyone knows that the three Celestial Digimon can do, we wouldn't stand a chance." He reasoned, but before Kanalaka could say anything Syakomon's shell opened and the little mollusc Digimon looked at Henry pityingly.

"You place too much importance in levels young one. And in the Celestial Digimon. The three of them, MagnaSeraphimon, MagnaAngewomon and Kerubielmon are incredibly powerful and should not be lightly confronted, true, but their power is waning. The great darkness is growing and soon their power will dim, as will the power of all the Eighteen. And if need be, that is when we will need to strike." He said, and Henry shared a dark look with Ryo, who sighed.

"How do we know the Eighteen are bad? I mean all they've ever done is protect the two worlds, we've got no proof that they're evil." He said and Kanalaka chuckled.

"Oh to be young and be able to divide the world into categories of good and evil. I never said the Eighteen were evil my boy. I said they are becoming addicted and corrupted to their power, the power Hawong has seen fit to invest in them. Don't you see? They were far too young to be given such power, and it's gone to their heads. Surely you all see it? They are becoming corrupted, and twisted by their power. After all, they are the most powerful Digidestined in the world, and they know it. Power always corrupts." He said wisely, and Rika, who had the same relationship with him as Rana did with Hawong, glowered at him menacingly.

"And how do we know you're not corrupted by power?" she asked and Kanalaka chuckled.

"Because my pretty I'm too new to the world of politics, and since Hawong is effectively running the show without reference to any of the rest of the Diet or the cabinet, I have very little power anyway." He lamented, but she continued to look at him suspiciously, making him hide a smile.

"Where's the proof that they're corrupted by power? They've done everything they've ever been asked and protect Japan which includes all of us and you, and you want us to fight them?" Leo asked in disbelief, Liollmon draped over his feet.

"Not to mention they're too powerful for us to fight head on, none of them went to all the forms they could go to. We won't stand a chance." Kenta complained, and Kanalaka once again wondered why someone so whiny was a Digidestined.

"We are acting pre-emptively my friends. The Eighteen's power is already beginning to corrupt them, they already believe themselves above the law, view themselves as Japan's last defence against the darkness and that arrogance is spreading into all their other works of life. Very soon now, their corruption will start to show. And if nothing else, they work directly for Hawong, a war monger who caused this dreadful war for his own purposes. How can they be good and serve someone such as him?" he posed to them, and Takato looked hesitantly at Ryo, who sighed.

"Yeah, they serve Hawong but look at them, some of them hardly have a mean bone in their body, look at Kari for example, she's the bearer of Light, how is she meant to be evil?" he asked, and Kanalaka smiled.

"Because she is the most powerful my boy, her power will corrupt her before the rest." He said, affecting a sad voice, and Ryo, Takato and Henry exchanged looks, while Rika continued glaring at him, and Jeri, Kenta, Kazu and Leo were looking at their companions worriedly.

"You might be right." Henry said reluctantly, and Kanalaka leaned back, affecting a look of understanding.

"I know it's distasteful, but you lot may be the only ones who can stop them, and hence the only ones who can save Japan. And never fear, you will have me, Yamaki and the others behind you all the way." He assured them, ignoring Jeri's shiver (she didn't like Yamaki, he gave her the creeps).

"And we appreciate it." Ryo said softly, and Kanalaka smiled.

"I'm glad. We're a good team, and I think we more than proved our worth in the battle with the Eighteen, we certainly threw them. We can hold them off, and as time goes on, we will get stronger, strong enough to stop them should they ever threaten Japan, or act to protect Hawong if and when he goes too far." He said gravely, and with that, the uncertain looking kids stood and traipsed from his office and Kanalaka leaned back, watching them as they left.

"You ought to contact the Sovereigns." Syakomon said, and Kanalaka looked at his partner in surprise.

"Your rulers?" he asked, and the little mollusc nodded.

"Yes, many are beginning to fear the Eighteen as much as you do. They could be natural allies in all this because you're right, the Eighteen do pose a threat." He said, and Kanalaka mused on this.

"We will keep them in reserve my fine little friend, should things go wrong with my original plan. Now, shall we see how Hypnos is getting on with my digivice?" he asked, and the little Digimon leapt into his hands as he swept through the bare, grey corridors.

The various Hypnos agents were dedicated to dealing with the digital menace, however, only four of them, the four highest ranked members, Yamaki, his girlfriend Riley, her partner Tally and their security man Klein were the only ones that Kanalaka had trusted with Digimon partners, the better to further his own initiatives. Fortunately Syakomon didn't know just how he had come by the other Digimon, or even how he had come by him in the first place.

He entered the large globe like room that acted as their command room, Riley and Tally on their overhanging chairs tracking all the Digimon currently in the city. He could see the various Digimon belonging to the Eighteen and the former kidnap victims, and he could also see Ryo's group walking away from the building. And the mass of Digimon that was in the building, well more accurately, in the cavernous basement beneath them.

"No new Digimon activity to report sir." Riley informed Kanalaka as he entered the room, setting Syakomon down on the table before he headed over to Yamaki.

Syakomon looked warily around the dark room, the only light coming from Yamaki's terminal and the lights on the board. She was around here somewhere.

"I know you're here, so why not come out of the shadows you art accident?" he hissed, and he leapt almost a foot in the air as Mikemon sprang mercilessly onto the table, her sharp claws going right for him.

"Mikemon!" Dobermon barked, and the cat cowered, retracting her claws and hanging her head as the dog in charge of the Hypnos Digimon approached, growling.

"It's only a little fun." She purred in her exotic voice, and Syakomon glowered at her.

"For you scavenger, not me. Keep your claws to yourself." He snapped, and she shot him a look of loathing.

"Are you causing trouble down there Mikemon?" Riley called, and the cat flattened her ears.

"Of course not, just a friendly chat between friends." She said with dignity, leaping off the desk and vanishing into the shadows.

"Thank you." Syakomon said, and Dobermon growled in acknowledgement before plodding over to Yamaki.

"He just isn't one for socialising. With anyone really, believe me, I've tried." Starmon said from his and Yakiimon's post guarding the door.

"Yeah, he's one cool customer." Yakiimon added grimly, and Syakomon sighed wearily.

This management lark was stressful.

"Yamaki, how come the alterations to my digivice?" Kanalaka asked as he sat down beside Yamaki at his terminal.

Yamaki nodded, his dark glasses glinting as he did so as he returned Kanalaka's dark grey D-3 to him.

"Yes. This will increase the control you have over Syakomon." He said and Kanalaka smiled.

"So it will-?" he asked, referring to what was really going on with Yamaki's experiment, and Yamaki nodded.

"Yes sir, it will give you complete control, you'll be able to use it however you see fit." He told him, and Kanalaka smiled.

"Excellent. And the neural clamps?" he asked, and Yamaki nodded, grinning in anticipation.

"They have been fine tuned even further and have boosted our control by over ten percent." He reported and Kanalaka nodded in approval, that would make everything much easier when the time came.

"Very good, but it could be better could it not?" he asked, and Yamaki nodded.

"Of course, it's a work in progress we're always improving it sir." He said, and Kanalaka nodded, just as an alarm started blaring.

"Riley, another wild one?" Yamaki snapped getting to his feet as she and Tally began tracking the signal that was flashing up on the screen.

"Yes sir, tracking now." She responded and Yamaki glowered at the screen.

"You see why we need to take action, why we need to help each other? Only together can we stop these monsters emerging into our world, it's in a big enough mess as it is without them showing up and causing even more damage. Together, we'll crush them." Yamaki vowed and Kanalaka placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Indeed we will. I'll round up one of the kids to deal with this don't worry. And then, when all is said and done, the threat the Digimon present will be at an end." He assured him, a small smile on his face before he left the room, picking Syakomon up as he did so.

Dobermon growled at Mikemon to chase her off from below Riley's chair and sat down beside Yamaki.

"Yamaki, I must say, I don't like what we are doing down in the basement, or what you're doing to his digivice, it can only lead to trouble." The dog told him curtly, and Yamaki glared at him.

"I don't care Dobermon. And the basement is none of your concern Dobermon." He growled and Dobermon looked at him in annoyance.

"Yamaki, you can hate it however much you want, but I am your partner, we are in this together. And what you are doing in the basement is wrong, immoral and cruel, you are warping-"

"Enough!" Yamaki barked but Dobermon barked back, making Yamaki retreat a little, and above them Riley and Tally continued to work, trying not to listen to what was going on beneath them.

In the shadows Klein shrugged at Starmon and Yakiimon who were looking on in interest as Dobermon and Yamaki had their latest clash as this was hardly the first. Dobermon didn't like what was going on down below, none of the Hypnos Digimon did but the others kept quiet but as the unofficial leader of the four Hypnos Digimon, Dobermon saw fit to challenge Yamaki over what was going on in the basement. And what he was doing with Kanalaka.

"No, it is not enough. What you are doing down there is sick. And what is more, you are altering the Digivices in ways they were never meant to be, it's dangerous!" he growled, and Yamaki glared at him.

"It helps you lot digivolve to Mega, so I don't see why you're complaining." He said bitterly, and Dobermon glared.

"Because it isn't natural, you can't force our digivolution, you're lucky it hasn't backfired on us like it did with that Digitamamon you experimented on. I told you what happened with Tai's Agumon, you risk a whole lot more. And you are giving Kanalaka's digivice too much power. If you keep altering it and give him the power he wants you to give to him, you think he will keep you around? If you give him what he wants, nothing will stop him, and Syakomon may not be much in his Rookie form but his Mega form is incredibly durable and I might not be able to protect you." He intoned and Yamaki glowered at him, but upon seeing the earnest expression on his gravelly voiced partner's face, he did soften ever so slightly.

"Why do you keep trying to protect me? I never asked you too, I don't need you to." He said, and Dobermon padded away and then sent a sad look back at his partner.

"Because it's my job, and odd though it is, I enjoy, despite how you want me to disappear." He said and padded off, and Mikemon leapt from the shadows to follow him.

"A word of advice Mikemon, don't antagonise him." Yakiimon warned, and she flicked her ears.

"Me?" she asked innocently and followed Dobermon, while Yakiimon looked at Starmon, who gestured helplessly.

Yamaki looked after where Dobermon had disappeared. He didn't understand why Kanalaka had seen fit to give him a Digimon. He made no secret about his hatred for the Digimon, and how he despised their constant attacks on this world of theirs. He thought they were simple monsters that got too big for their boots. But then Kanalaka, after recruiting him to help him with his project called Sentinel and bringing him into the wider aim of his plan, had gifted him with his own navy digivice and the domineering form of Dobermon, and despite his initial reluctance had made Dobermon digivolve after altering his digivice like he had with the others. And despite knowing how he felt about his kind, Dobermon still stayed by his side loyally, for whatever reason.

It just didn't make sense. He was just data wasn't he?

"You shouldn't be so hard on him." Riley chided softly as she tracked Leo as he headed to intercept the new Digimon.

Yamaki scoffed at his girlfriend's ignorance. She had a very good relationship with Mikemon, for all intents and purposes the two were good friends, with Mikemon some strange mixture between friend, sister and pet. She even allowed Mikemon to curl up on her bed with her at night, while he forced Dobermon to wait outside the house like a proper dog. She was too close to her little cat friend, and he could only imagine how hurt she would be when they finally got rid of them all.

"He isn't a he, he's an it, he's data." Yamaki insisted coldly, and Tally looked down at him curiously.

"If he's just data, why do you keep saying he's a he rather than an it?" she asked perceptively.

She also had a good relationship with her Digimon, viewing him as some sort of nephew or something, someone to have fun with and protect at the same time, and as a result they were very close. And over in the corner, Klein and his partner Starmon were more akin to partners, confidantes, colleagues, they were all wrong. He would show them.

"Just do your job Tally." He snapped and the two went back to work while Starmon and Yakiimon looked on sadly.

XX

"He isn't used to people challenging him." Mikemon counselled as she approached Dobermon, who growled at her.

"Go away." He snapped, and she flicked her tail haughtily.

"No. You know I'm right. He's an arrogant elitist, he believes in restrictions and rules, everything has to be neat and fit into his own narrow view of the world. You, and the rest of us, don't fit into that mould, yet you still try and get through to him. He doesn't want to be your partner, he never did." She said, but she wasn't saying it to be cruel, she actually wanted to help, and she saw Dobermon sag a little bit.

"I know." He said mournfully, and the dog like Digimon sounded so despondent that she began to purr his favourite song to cheer him up.

After she finished purring 'Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog', she looked at him sadly, squatting on her back two legs with her front two in front of her (how the hell he did this without pain she didn't know, it strained her to hell), and then she looked up at him sadly.

"Then why put yourself through it?" she asked pityingly, and he gave her a slight sigh in response.

"Because I can't help it." He said in defeat, nudged her fondly with his nose and headed off, and as she stretched back to walk on all fours again, she looked at him and contemplated her companion's predicament.

XX

"Can't you talk to him?" Nefertimon asked as they soared over the city on their patrol and Kari scowled.

"What do you think I've been doing? I've tried, Matt's tried, we've all tried, we can talk to Tai until we're blue in the face but he just won't listen to us. He's pushing all of us away, even me and Matt. Ugh, maybe Ken was right." She said musingly, and Nefertimon snickered.

"With the little comment that stopped you and Yolei talking about Home and Away?" she asked, and Kari smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe he's right, maybe Tai just needs to get laid, it might calm him down, or at least give him something else to think about, I don't know." She moaned, while Nefertimon sniggered beneath her.

"And yet everyone aside from TK, Patamon and I still think you're an angel." She taunted and Kari grinned.

"And it will stay that way big mouth. Especially since Tai seems to be sticking his head in the sand about me growing up, and the way he's been acting the last thing we need is him getting wound up about something else. Besides, and don't tell him this, but I don't think TK would win in a fight." She said musingly and Nefertimon laughed.

"Kari, he would be protecting his right to you. For you, he'd fight anyone and do anything, you know that. Even your increasing ass of a brother." She said, and Kari flicked her metal ear, causing herself more pain than Nefertimon.

"He's still my brother. And he might be slightly less stressed if you and Patamon would stop raiding his food cupboards every other night." She said in amusement.

"Oh we can't do that, that would mean Tai would win our eternal battle of wills, I can't have that. I assume you want to be on the winning side? That is my side." She said smugly, and Kari laughed.

"And what happens when you win? I assume your definition of defeat will be when he starves himself to death." She said, but Nefertimon shook her head.

"No, I would win, it would mean I broke him and that he starved himself to death in order to spite me, hence I win by default. Besides, him killing me wouldn't make him win either, I would just come back, hence I would win once again. The only way I can actually be defeated is if he manages to make his flat Gatomon proof, or at least make his cupboards Gatomon proof. If he makes it totally impenetrable then I will have lost and he will have won" she explained, and Kari shook her head, her Digimon was insane and out to drive her brother just as mad.

"And you win?"

"When he finally admits my natural superiority, consents to a lifetimes supply of tuna, salmon and other associated fish products and goes stark raving bonkers." She said brightly, and Kari laughed again, before her vibrating digivice alerted her to something.

"Kari?" Nefertimon asked, hearing the noise, and she stopped, hovering above the city.

"There's a Digimon nearby, nearly directly below uuuussss!" Kari finished with a scream as Nefertimon abruptly dived to the surface.

There was indeed a Digimon as they reached a level closer to the ground, Musyamon was leaping from building to building, his sword drawn, apparently looking for trouble.

"Shall I take him?" Nefertimon asked the windbeaten Kari who was clutching her partner a bit tighter than she ought to with one hand and trying to fix her windswept hair with the other.

"Wait, look." Kari said, as a tan coloured large cat leapt up from street level with a boy on his back.

"One of those kids again isn't it? What do we do?" Nefertimon asked as Liamon landed in front of Musyamon, bringing the Digimon up short and making him brandish his sword.

"We see what happens naturally." Kari said, the two of them watching carefully as Liamon prowled, prepared to pounce at any moment.

"Shogun Sword!" Musyamon yelled, leaping for the kid, but Liamon was much quicker, his mane glowing.

"Thunder King!" he roared, and a jagged beam of lightning shot loose from his mane and crashed right into Musyamon's chest, sending the Digimon tumbling across the rooftop.

As the Digimon skidded to a stop, the kid rose his wrist, revealing a small electronic device, rather like an ipod, which he pointed at Musyamon. The defeated Digimon gave an angry growl as he was turned into a data stream and hoovered into the device.

"Well that's a new trick. Should we go and introduce ourselves properly?" Kari asked and Nefertimon groaned.

"If we really must, but if I get stuck in his little GameBoy with Musyamon, I won't be happy." She grumbled as she flew over to the rooftop as Liamon's partner patted his muzzle proudly.

"Good job buddy, that should keep them happy." He said as Nefertimon landed silently.

"Keep who happy?" Kari asked interestedly, making the kid and his partner jump, and the big cat slinked protectively in front of his partner.

The spiky brown haired kid looked at her warily as Liamon growled slightly.

"You're Kari right?" he asked nervously and she nodded.

"Yeah, see the thing is, we don't know who you are, you lot don't come up on our Digimon analyser, unlike your friend there." She said tartly.

**Liamon: A powerful Champion level Digimon, he is rare and powerful, eager to take on any challenge and subject his foes to his Thunder King attack.**

"Fancy gadget." Liamon admitted, slightly proud with the praise, and Nefertimon looked at him curiously.

"So is his, what is it?" she asked curiously, and the boy showed them his device.

"We call it the D-Tainer. Alright, if you really must know, my name is Leo." He said, and Kari smiled.

"Well that's a little bit of progress I suppose, at least we know who you are now, what about your friends, and where they came from? Because we thought we at least kept an eye on all the Digidestined in Japan and poof, there's suddenly loads of us, and now we have Hawong nagging us, so what are we meant to do about that?" she asked, and Leo shrugged.

"Not my problem, we have a job to do." He said dismissively, and Kari narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, so do we. Ever since your little stunt at the concert, Hawong and my brother have wanted you and your friends found and brought in, and lucky me, I found one of you first." She said, and Liamon growled threateningly.

"Easy boy. She's just curious." Leo said but took a step back all the same.

"Yeah. Look, I don't know why you attacked us but whatever the reason was, we can work it out. Come and talk to us, we won't hurt you." She promised but the younger boy looked at her sceptically.

"Yeah right. Look, I didn't want to attack you, we had to, we were told to. And for what it's worth, you guys put up a pretty good fight." He said brightly, as if that would make her ease off as now Nefertimon was slowly stalking towards them.

"I'm the one who should be saying that to you. Who told you to attack us? You're not evil otherwise you'd have pounced already, so what's the game?" she asked curiously.

Leo looked at her nervously, and Liamon made a movement with his shoulder that looked like a shrug as Leo pondered what to do.

"Look, don't ask me anymore, just don't, I shouldn't be talking to you as it is." He said, and Kari smiled gently.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you, what do you think I keep her around for?" she asked pointing to Nefertimon, who looked at her in what Kari could only assume was disgust.

"My wit, vivacious charm and stunning good looks obviously, and the fact that I keep saving your ungrateful ass and am your natural partner in crime in driving your brother bananas." She said with annoyed dignity making Kari and Leo smile and Liamon chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Nefertimon asked the other Digimon who looked at her curiously.

"You, you're weird." He said in a teasing voice, and she raised her hackles.

"Weird, I'll give you weird." She growled but Kari laid a hand on her flank to soothe her.

"Look, I'm not asking much, just come with us and explain things to us, we need to talk about all this, otherwise we'll just wind up fighting each other again." Kari reasoned, but Leo backed off, and Liamon edged further in front.

"We can't, we're not allowed to." He said nervously and she sighed in irritation.

"Look, I just want to know why you attacked us, talk to us, whatever it is we can work it out ok?" she asked, and Leo looked at Liamon uncertainly, just as an alarm started to blare over the city.

"You know, the Chinese have lousy timing." Kari cursed, as Leo leapt onto Liamon.

"Hey! Cat's Eye Beam!"

"Thunder King!"

The two cat Digimon fired their attacks at each other, blowing one another backwards and Liamon used that as his opportunity to escape, leaping off the building, making Kari curse as the kid and his Digimon landed at street level and ran off.

"Damn him." Kari cursed again, and Nefertimon looked at her.

"Do we go after him?" she asked, but Kari shook her head as the first of the Chinese planes were starting to come into view.

"No, we've got to deal with this lot, Hawong will have our hide if we don't protect the country first. Come on, let's go." She said, leaping onto her partner's back as the Eighteen once more headed off to war.

XX

MagnaSeraphimon cursed as he repaired the damage the battle had once again done, honestly, he and Gatomon ought to start a repair service they should get paid for their time and effort. The battle had been nothing more than a raid to destroy morale, a few u-boats and a squadron of planes from one of the Chinese's pocket aircraft carriers had been all that had been involved. Birdramon, Nefertimon and Kabuterimon had been more than a match for the planes, Ikkakumon and Submarimon had easily deal with the u-boats while Seadramon had scuttled the aircraft carrier, so once again Japan was safe. However, in the resulting chaos, any leads on the new Digidestined had been completely lost, which was what had brought the Eighteen and Hiroshi's band of nine to the park while people once more tried to get back to their lives in a nation at war. The park was perfect as due to the recent fight and the cold weather making your breath rise visibly in front of you, no one was going exploring and they could chat uninterrupted.

"So we don't have any idea where they went?" Ken asked, and Davis shook his head.

"None, they vanished as soon as the shots started firing so we've got no leads on them." He explained and Matt frowned.

"Alright, these kids come out of nowhere, have adults with them and are clearly able to digivolve at least to Ultimate, shouldn't we be worried about this?" he asked, picking at the grass.

"By all rights these new kids shouldn't be able to threaten us that much, after all we can digivolve to Super." Izzy said.

"So could Diaboromon, Daemon and Myotismon. Just because we're meant to be the only ones able to do it doesn't mean we are." Cody reasoned, which they had to admit made sense.

"And even if they don't pose a threat to us, they could still pose a threat to this lot." Michael said, pointing to the Hiroshi's group of Digidestined.

"But if they can only go to Ultimate surely we should be able to fight them too." Noriko pointed out, but Sam shook her head.

"Not necessarily. Since Hawong only just put you out in the field you don't have much experience. We know your heart is in the right place, but you're just too new, and these guys gave us a run for our money." She said kindly, and Takashi and his partner Bearmon sagged visibly.

"Don't we get points for enthusiasm?" Takashi asked mournfully and Sora smiled.

"You did do pretty good the problem is you've not really fought Digimon yet, that's all." She said soothingly, which seemed to brighten them up a bit.

Tai looked at the new kids that they had been forced to take on. In an ideal world he wouldn't have them here, Hawong should never have gotten them all involved, they were just kids. Hiroshi was sitting with his partner Ararumon, who was basically Palmon with a blue flower instead of a pink one. Takashi, the small boy with the green jacket which he still wore was partnered with Bearmon, a curious and cheerful little Digimon. Noriko, the girl who's Dark Spore had bloomed earlier than the others was now partnered with Psychemon, who was a pink bellied version of Gabumon. There was Keiko, the girl who had wanted to open a bakery and she was partnered with BlackAgumon. One of the youngest boys who Oikawa had taken was now partnered with Chuumon, who was sitting on his shoulder, compulsively picking lint of his companion's jacket and fretting about him sitting on the ground. Another boy called Yoh had Crabmon with him, while his friend Sakura had her partner Elecmon sitting on her knee. A further girl called Anna was standing beside her little red Muchomon, and the last member of the new group Syaroan was partnered with Mushroomon.

"So we can hang around with you guys?" Takashi asked hopefully and Tai was about to say something when Rana nodded.

"Course you can. If for no other reason that we could use a break." She said with a grin, and Keiko smiled back.

"Cool, can we train with you guys?" BlackAgumon asked eagerly, and Davis shrugged.

"We don't really train, we usually just wing it. Hmm, maybe that's why the bad guys keep kicking our asses." He mused when he felt Tai's hand on his shoulder.

"A word. You too Rana." He said coldly, and the two rolled their eyes at each other before following him into the trees, while Matt, Sora and Kari exchanged dark looks with one another, totally oblivious to the happy chatter of the new Digidestined.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tai hissed and Rana glared.

"Tai, we need them. Like I said, if for no other reason we could do with a break. If Hiroshi's group can take over some of our work, so much the better. Besides, I know you don't like it but do you really think Hawong will be alright with us not helping them? We need to train them up a bit sure, but they can be helpful. And if the other kids we met are bad guys out to get us, they need to be able to defend themselves from them in case they go after them." She reasoned.

Davis nodded, his eyes narrowed at Tai.

"And like Rana said, any help we can get the better, let you guys focus on uni and us on school a little bit more. And besides, the more Digidestined we know, the better our chances of being able to track down the final members of the Eighteen."

Tai scowled.

"We've already tried that lot smart ass, and they aren't." He said irritably, and Rana hissed between her teeth.

"He wasn't being a smart ass, he was just being smart, odd though it sounds." She said, smirking at the aggrieved look Davis gave her.

"With them taking on some of our duties, we can focus more on the two we're missing." Davis reasoned and Tai deflated a little.

"Hmm, maybe you're right. Sorry." He muttered, and Rana's gaze softened a little.

"Or is it because we decided without you?" she asked, and Tai shook his head.

"No, not that," he said, his voice wavering slightly which probably meant that was partly to do with it, "they're just so young." He said unhappily, and Davis nodded.

"Compared to us they're younger sure, but they're only a year or two younger than Cody, which still makes them older than you guys were when you first went to the digital world." He reasoned and Tai bit his lip.

"Or is it because they're not members of the original eight so hence aren't as good?" Rana asked coolly, and Tai turned to give her a glare, but she held her ground and Davis also moved closer to her for backup.

Tai scowled irritably at the two of them.

"That isn't it at all, is that really what you think?" he asked, and Rana arced an eyebrow.

"Do you blame us?" she asked waspishly, and Tai hesitated.

"Tai, we're not against you being in charge or relying on the others but you can rely on us too, and recently you've been forcing us out. You've been trusting them with more and more, and everyone who wasn't an original Digidestined with less and less." Davis said, and Tai was about to say something else when Hawong's car pulled up, revealing the Prime Minister and Margaret, both dressed in warm winter clothing, and Tai gave the other two a dark look.

"This isn't over." He warned, and the two of them exchanged significant looks as he moved to meet the prime minister.

"Good work all. Any sign of our new miscreants?" he asked, and Joe shook his head.

"No. Kari had one just before the Chinese attacked but their attack made her lose him." He reported and Margaret sighed.

"I suppose there is very little you can do until they actually show themselves again. What was the one you encountered doing Kari?" she asked, and Kari looked at Izzy.

"I forgot to say, they've got some fancy new gizmo. Whatever it is, it turned the Musyamon who he made short work of by the way, into a data stream and basically downloaded him into it. What do you reckon?" she asked, and Izzy, Yolei, Ken and Sam all adopted their thinking faces.

"Here we go, Mensa eat your heart out." Tentomon said to their appropriate Digimon.

"Usual bets?" Hawkmon asked, and they all nodded, their gazes fixed on their partners.

"A way to carry Digimon around in your pocket, they must reconfigure his data to turn him into a smaller form and store him for transport, but what happens to them after they get transported?" Ken asked, making Tentomon, Candlemon and Hawkmon curse as they handed a dollar to a smug Wormmon.

"I don't know, he didn't stick around to tell me." Kari said in disapproval, making the others sigh wearily.

"Well as if we didn't have enough to worry about, a rogue Digimon entered the real world while the Chinese were attacking us." Hawong reported, and looked at Sam, who groaned.

"Why do I get a feeling that it's upset my ass of a father's delicate disposition?" she asked irritably, and Margaret looked at her apologetically.

"Because your father isn't the only one, all the religious leaders of the world are going off their head, the Digimon, Kuwagamon I believe, emerged in the middle of Vatican City, right in St Peter's square, during a blessing by the Pope. It's caused chaos, religious leaders across the world are demanding action, people are saying the Digimon have gotten too far out of hand and need to be culled if even our sacred places aren't safe from their invasions. The Kuwagamon was destroyed by Italian Digidestined, but the damage was already done, it killed four people and destroyed part of the Basilica. As soon as the news broke your father was on the air an hour later, now armed with even more ammunition for his rhetoric." She explained, and Sam groaned, rubbing her temples in angry exhaustion.

"Great, what's he saying now?" she asked wearily, and Hawong sniffed disapprovingly.

"More of the same, only now everyone will be much more willing to listen to him. I know it wasn't the Digimon's fault, but this is going to be seen as having gone too far, it emerged in the middle of the Vatican for Christ sake. People will tolerate them appearing in the middle of their cities and of places like the Pentagon and the Arc De Triomphe or even that swarm of Poyomon that interrupted the House of Commons, but the Vatican, that's an entirely different box of frogs. So, with that as new ammunition he wants us to take actions to exterminate all Digimon, which I assume include yours, and wants us to buy the DDR weapons from the Americans so we can destroy any others that may emerge into our world." He said with disdain, wincing at the rising anger evident on all their faces.

"Will you cave?" Cody asked, and Hawong shook his head.

"No of course not, all he is at the moment is a political firebrand. Problem is he's gaining more and more support across the country, from parents, the aggrieved, conscientious objectors and now, a lot of religious people. And there's the people who just don't like Digimon on principle." He said, and Michael looked at him curiously.

"But if he gets more support?" he asked hesitantly, and Margaret pursed her lips.

"That could be dangerous. While the Prime Minister keeps your more powerful human opponents, politicians, the police etc at bay, if Sam's father keeps up with his exterminate all Digimon lark and he receives their backing, it could make your lives very difficult indeed." She said worriedly.

"For now however, you're safe. Though most people do not like it and are very ungrateful, they know without you lot there's a good chance we'd already have lost the war. you also have the backing of the prime minister and the military, whom in particular will not want to give up one of their greatest weapons so for now you're safe and I intend to keep it that way. However, now with this Digimon invasion of the Vatican, despite being unintentional, not that most people are listening to it, more and more people are going to get behind his desire to destroy the Digimon." Hawong explained, and Agumon scowled.

"What's the point in protecting this world? We risk our lives every day which is more than most of the people in the city do, and all we get in return is a death sentence. We should let you all burn." He fumed.

Matt shot Cody a worried look. With the public's reaction to their own Digimon over the last eighteen months, the Digimon had become increasingly irritated, wondering why they were putting themselves in harm's way for a world that didn't want anything to do with them, and a large part of which actively detested them.

"Hey, we're on your side buddy." Tai soothed, but the lizard and several of the other Digimon were looking grumpy, even Armadillomon, though that may have been because Cody had just sat on his tail.

"The rest aren't." He retorted bitterly, and Hawong made the wise decision to steer the conversation away from that topic before things got bloody.

Tai then turned to Sam, his eyes narrowed.

"I thought you had talked to your father?" he asked and she looked at him with such fire that he took a step back for fear of injury.

"I have spoken to him, I've explained all of this until I'm blue in the face, nothing I say goes into that thick skull of his. He thinks all Digimon are an abomination, something evil sent to corrupt all of us and turn us against our parents. He believes they're spawn of the devil and we've been corrupted at the most basic level by hanging round with them. I told him if it wasn't for them Japan would have fallen and he told me it would be better for Japan to fall than to rely on our Digimon. He also told me that he didn't want me seeing you guys anymore because you further corrupt me." She spat, and Tai winced.

"Geez Sam, I'm sorry, I had no idea things were so bad between you guys." He said awkwardly and Candlemon scowled.

"When the arrogant judgemental prick is basically trying to live her life his way and stop her seeing everyone she cares about? Of course they're bad." He said, his once apathetic feelings for Sam's father having transformed into full blown hatred over the last eighteen months.

Margaret looked across at Hawong, who was wearing the same look of concern on his face as she was on hers.

"I'll try talking to him again, but now there's been a Digimon in the Vatican, he'll want to listen even less. And now he'll get the boost of all the other religious leaders, they'll all be queuing up to join forces with him now, mark my words." She said wearily, and Hawong nodded to himself, time to draw the conversation away from this.

"Is everything ready for the arrival of the Mexican ambassador?" he asked Tai, figuring he'd have cracked and told someone by now.

However, judging by the hostile glares Tai was now receiving from everyone, including Agumon, he actually hadn't cracked and told anyone. Interesting. And now, both Hawong and Margaret were trying hard to suppress their grins as the rest of the children fixed their leader with a look of profound irritation.

"The Mexican ambassador? Yet again you're blocking us out, you didn't tell us anything!" Davis said in exasperation, but Matt patted the air calmingly.

"Simmer down Davis, he didn't tell any of us." He said, giving Tai a dirty look.

"I forgot. In a nutshell, a Mexican ambassador is coming here to discuss defecting." He explained sheepishly, and Yolei's eyes widened.

"That could..."

"Change the entire course of the war. Now, when he arrives I want you to stick to him like glue, if he goes to the toilet, I want you there wiping his bottom, understand? This is very important, and we can't afford any mistakes this time." Hawong said, and Rana scowled.

"It wasn't our fault last time, that was Daemon." She sneered waspishly.

Hawong rolled his eyes and nodded.

"I know, I just want you to be extra careful with the Mexican ambassador. Someone raises their hand to scratch their head, you tackle the buggers, got it?" he asked, and they all nodded.

"Got it. Hmm, so if we do that..." Tai said, just as the air started to crackle just outside the park.

"Now what?" Biyomon asked, as the entire group ran to the gate to see a digital gate opening.

"Looks like vacation's over. Lopmon, put the bloody knitting away!" Betamon yelled in exasperation, and the little rabbit sighed and stuffed her half knitted hat into Mara's bag before taking her place at the end of the line of Digimon, all preparing to leap into battle.

"I suppose it has been a while since we were attacke,d I was hoping the Ultimate Evil had forgotten us." Veemon said whimsically, and Hawkmon chuckled.

"Fat chance my dear Veemon after what we did to Daemon. Now, which less than savoury fellow are we getting this time?" he asked as the portal opened, and as one the Digimon sprang forwards.

"Wait!" Cody shouted, bringing the Digimon to an abrupt halt as the Digimon emerged into the real world, his four eyes glittering as he did so.

"Fanglongmon!" Mimi exclaimed in surprise as the Sovereign emerged fully into the world, the portal closing behind him.

"Another one of your Sovereigns?" Hawong asked Palmon.

"Told you Baihumon was the most normal looking one." She said cheerfully, but as he took in the large lizard (who was now causing massive traffic jams due to emerging in the middle of a busy junction), he frowned and looked at the little plant Digimon.

"I thought you weren't getting on with the Sovereigns?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yep. Which means one of two things, either he wants something from us or he has a death wish." She said brightly, and Margaret shrugged when Hawong looked at her for explanation.

"Digidestined, it has been some time." Fanglongmon said in greeting, but before Tai, who was already scowling, could open his mouth, Matt kicked him in the shins, making him yelp instead.

"What did you do that for?" he ground out in annoyance, and Gabumon looked at him hopefully.

"I don't know why he did it, but it looked fun can I do it too?" he asked hopefully, but Tai shook his head while glaring at Matt.

"Don't go in all guns blazing, find out what he wants first." He counselled, and Tai grinned awkwardly.

"I was going to do that." He said in a pseudo-dignified tone as he turned back to the Sovereign.

"You buy that?" Rana asked with amusement, and Matt grinned.

"Do I look stupid?" he asked, and she giggled.

"Fanglongmon, been a while." Tai said, nodding at the Sovereign coolly.

"It has indeed children." He said, and Armadillomon yawned.

"If that's all they're going to be able to say, I'm going for a nap." He said, and Cody poked him, slightly scolding but slightly amused too.

"Don't be rude, and don't go to sleep you might miss something." He warned.

"Um, not wishing to be rude or anything but our traffic hardly moves as it is, and you are blocking a very busy junction, could you please move over a bit?" Hawong asked hopefully, and Fanglongmon looked around to see the long rows of traffic tooting their horns, their drivers and passengers shaking their fists at him and he chuckled.

"Oh of course, so sorry. I am Fanglongmon." He said in greeting, and Hawong gave him a very weak smile as the cars started moving again.

"Henry Hawong." He said in reluctant greeting as several cars blazed past, strings of invective coming from their windows.

Fanglongmon settled himself in the middle of the mark, out of the way, and the Digidestined followed him, all of them perplexed as to his unexpected appearance, after all, they weren't exactly on speaking terms nowadays. As soon as he settled down he turned to look at the wrong footed group and sighed, looking at them pleadingly.

"I suppose you want to know what I'm doing here." He asked, and Michael nodded.

"Yeah, we've not exactly been on good terms ever since you showed us how much you really value us." He said scathingly, making Betamon grin in appreciation, true it was a cheap shot but it was still a good one.

"Indeed not. This has gone on long enough. We need your help." He said, and Kari and TK, who had made silent bets, looked at each other and a grinning Kari took five quid from her boyfriend.

"Our help? After everything you waltz in here and expect us to drop everything to help you? Take a hike." Joe said angrily and Fanglongmon bowed his head sadly.

"We have our differences of late, no one is disputing that. And we have treated you unfairly. We have been harsh, dismissive and unappreciative of you. We aren't as blameless in our fallout as we would like to believe. So, for that, I truly am sorry." He said humbly, and Tai looked a little taken aback, he hadn't expected the Sovereign to apologise.

"Yeah well, I suppose we haven't exactly been fair to you lot either at times." He admitted sheepishly, garnering shocked looks from the others.

"Perhaps not. You must understand, both our worlds are at stake, as is our reign, however our desire to protect the latter has impeded our relationship with you. And due to our foolishness we are all now in danger. Our relationship with you has weakened our power, and our hold on the world. Which is why we need your help." He explained, and though they were all very pleased to have the apology, they were still less than inclined to help him.

"So you're losing power so you come and expect us to help you?" Sora asked in disbelief, and Fanglongmon shook his head.

"No Sora. We needed to repair our relationship. We were a good team once. Remember the final battle with Ghoulmon? Back then we showed just how we could achieve together, and we need to be able to do that again. We were friends once, before ego and arrogance, mostly on our part, wrecked our relationship. However, while I have felt we should reconcile for quite some time, there is now a greater need to do so. But first, I must know, is there any chance that we can put aside our differences and work together again, as we once did?" he asked, and the kids went deathly quiet, while their Digimon, Hawong and Margaret looked on in great interest.

Tai looked at Davis, Rana and Matt, and received three discreet nods, and Tai then turned, his face not entirely trusting, back to Fanglongmon and nodded.

"We can give it a try." He said hesitantly and Fanglongmon chuckled.

"I knew that you had wisdom about you. And, loathe though we are to admit it, we have kind of missed you. Here, the crests and Relics of the final two members of the Eighteen, I need not tell you to keep them safe." He said, and Tai nodded, taking them from his extended claw.

"So what brought on the sudden change of heart?" Tsukimon asked curiously, and Fanglongmon growled.

"Aside from the fact that we work better together, and despite Azulongmon trying to deny it we did miss you slightly, new developments have occurred. Gennai has been taken." He explained, and the Digimon looked at each other nervously.

"Taken? As in kidnapped?" Wormmon asked in shock and Fanglongmon nodded.

"Yes, an unknown but powerful enemy attacked the fortress of the Guardians and slaughtered all within before putting the place to the torch. However, there is no sign of Gennai anywhere, and the solitary survivor told us of his capture before he succumbed to his injuries. However, he didn't tell us who has taken him, but considering the damage and the deaths of all but Gennai, whoever it was is incredibly powerful." He said gravely, and Tentomon looked at Izzy thoughtfully.

"Not only that, Gennai has information on us and the Sovereigns, if they break him..."

"He could spill the beans about everything, and give the Ultimate Evil all sorts of ammo to use us. Brilliant." Lopmon groaned.

"Exactly. Gennai knows more about you and us than anyone, and if the Ultimate Evil should break him, then we're all going to be in severe danger. That's why we need your help, we need to find him and rescue him before it's too late." He explained, and Tai frowned.

"But you said yourself you don't even have any idea where he is, how are we meant to find him if you can't?" he asked and Fanglongmon frowned.

"To be frank, I have no idea, all I know is we have limited time, even now Gennai may be being tortured into giving up our secrets. The enemy is already growing in strength by the day. The darkness in the north has spread, several towns there have been abandoned. There have been rumours of enemy troops moving beyond the Dark Area, carting brave or foolish Digimon too close to their borders back into the darkness. Darkness is beginning to spread back into the Dark Ocean, Digimon are fleeing their homes. The last thing we need is for Gennai, however reluctantly, to give our enemy more power against us. The digital world is getting weaker, our power and your own is beginning to wane, and the divide between the worlds grows more diminished by the day, hence why so many Digimon have entered this world. Something happened to weaken it to this extent and now its barely holding together, very soon now nothing will stand between the forces of the Ultimate Evil and emergence into this world. The darkness is rising, and very soon now we will be powerless to stop it, that's why we must save Gennai, or all is for naught." He said worriedly, and the Digidestined shared troubled looks.

Hawong bit his lip, moving further back into the shadows. There was a time that he hadn't believed the Digidestined's warnings about the rise of the Ultimate Evil, this ancient, faceless threat that threatened all worlds with conquest, believing it to be a figment of the overactive imagination of a group of arrogant little busy bodies. However, as he had realised the lengths Devimon and his allies were prepared to go to in order to exterminate the Digidestined, he had seen more and more just how much danger the children were in. And as the war had progressed and their enemies had become more lethal (he still had dreams about their final battle with CacoDaemon), he had realised his own complicity in their increasingly dangerous position. Time and again over the last eighteen months he had debated rigorously with himself about whether he should come clean to the Digidestined, tell them of his treachery, his treason and his alliance with Devimon. However, he felt he wouldn't be able to help them if he was arrested, and then their enemies be the political or digital would move against them and doom his country, the Digidestined themselves and the world, so he had kept his peace. And he also did not want to come clean to the Digidestined, because though he had tried to deny it, he had become fond of them and he didn't think he could face them once they learned of his treachery. So he had kept quiet, and now, his alliance was putting both worlds in ever growing danger, and yet he still kept quiet.

Coward.

"We'll look for Gennai, don't worry." Mara assured the Sovereign, and then Izzy looked at him.

"But we want some information first." He said, and Fanglongmon nodded.

"Of course." He said, apparently taking the wind right out of Izzy's sails as he kind of ground to a stop in confusion.

"Well we were attacked by a group of other Digidestined, how many live in Japan that you know of?" Joe asked, and Fanglongmon frowned.

"All of you lot, and this lot here is all we truly know about. I suspect there are others but if they've never been to the digital world there is no way for us to track them I'm afraid. Who were they?" he asked.

"Powerful kids, they've been at it for a while because their Ultimates and Champions were a match for ours, and one of their Digimon seemed to spend their time as a Mega level. Are you sure you don't have any information on them?" Yolei asked, but Fanglongmon shook his head.

"Not that I know of. However as soon as I get back I'll try and find out. Powerful Digimon you say, any clues?" he asked, and Kari nodded.

"Yeah, one's called Leo and is partnered with a Liollmon. There's a Renamon and a Leomon in the group as well." She explained and the lizard nodded.

"I'll investigate what I can." He said, preparing to rise.

"There's one other thing." Gabumon said, and the Sovereign looked at him curiously.

"Which is?"

"How are adults able to be Digidestined?" Palmon asked, and Fanglongmon's eyes widened.

"What do you mean adults? Technically you lot are adults and are Digidestined." He said, but Sora shook her head.

"That isn't what we meant. When we were attacked, there were at least four adults with them, about ten years older than us, with Digimon who they were able to make digivolve. How did that happen?" she asked, and Fanglongmon looked at them nervously.

"There ought to be no way that could happen. Adults are not meant to be Digidestined, they aren't meant to have partners, it's impossible. You lot are now the oldest after all." He directed to the eight, and Patamon looked at him curiously.

"What about the ones who originally fought Apocalymon?" he asked, and Fanglongmon frowned.

"They're all dead as far as we know, and regardless, they would be in their forties if not their fifties now, but that's too old for what you're looking for." He mused, and seemed to be searching for an answer within himself.

"So you have no idea?" Hiroshi asked nervously, and the Sovereign shook his head.

"No child I do not. However, I do have some suspicions, but before I voice them I must confer with the others. But either way, this is not meant to happen. Something is going on, in this world as much as ours. Digidestined, I ask you to stay away from the adults as much as possible until we know more, there is too much at stake and there are too many unknowns. But whatever is going on here, there is something not right. Stay away from them." He asked, and Tai nodded.

"Sure, but...?"

"I'll have answers for you soon, now I must return home and confer with the others. Thank you for understanding." He said, and headed for the edge of the park.

"Does he suddenly seem squirrely to you?" Noriko whispered to Takashi who nodded.

"Yeah, but why, why would adult Digidestined upset him so much?" he whispered back as the group of Digidestined followed the Sovereign out onto the main street.

"It's getting serious isn't it?" Tai asked, and Fanglongmon nodded.

"Indeed it is. Evil is growing Tai, in this world as well as the digital world. Be careful, our enemies know more than we do and they're gaining in strength and power. Use caution, or very soon we will all be surrounded by our foes. Protect those young ones as much as you can. Be on your guard, I fear the true danger may very well be in this world rather than ours." He said worriedly, and Margaret looked at Hawong.

"You reckon he might be right? Something about those adult Digidestined seems to have frightened him a hell of a lot, what if there is something going on here?" she asked, but a nervous looking Hawong said nothing as Fanglongmon came to a stop in the main square of the government district.

"Fanglongmon-" Tai began, and then several things happened at once.

There was suddenly a blinding flash right above them, making the kids yell in fright and Fanglongmon roar as the pain suddenly blinded him. As they had their sight returned to them, a black lightning bolt suddenly lanced across the sky, but rather than disappear it stayed where it was, a jagged black scar, like dried blood cutting across the sky. It was upon seeing this that Kari and Ken suddenly collapsed, to the cries of TK and Yolei as their loved ones collapsed for no apparent reason. Fanglongmon growled in fear and alarms started blaring across the city, the alarm that had been installed for a full out Digimon attack, unused for the last year and a half, now ripping apart the cool air. A bitterly cold wind then whipped out of nowhere as the entire group of Digidestined clustered together, Fanglongmon growling untrustingly while Izzy shoved Hawong and Margaret to safety in the middle of their formation where TK, Yolei, Gatomon and Wormmon were trying to revive a now cold and shaking Kari and Ken, both of them with their teeth chattering, their skin ashen and a slight sweat starting to collect on their foreheads. Joe was at their side, trying to find out what was going on, as the Digimon moved to the front of the group, all of them, even those form Hiroshi's group, all poised and glaring up at the lightning bolt in the sky while the kids clustered together for warmth and protection as a heavy snow fall began, with hail stones starting to hammer down. Behind them people were running for shelter, fearing whatever was to come, screams and panicked cries beginning to pierce the air. And then it went virtually silent.

"What's happening to them?" TK asked, not liking the eerie silence that had descended upon the city.

"I've no idea, it was when that rift appeared, we need to keep them warm. God it's freezing all of a sudden." Joe cursed, wrapping Kari and Ken in blankets Lopmon had recently finished knitting (why Mara carried so many of her creations around in her bag was anyone's guess).

"What's going on?" Keiko asked nervously, sticking close to BlackAgumon.

"Digimon." He growled, eyes narrowed and bloodthirsty.

"Tai, we need to move Kari and Ken, they can't stay here, especially if we're about to have to fight. And what's with the weather all of a sudden?" Michael demanded as another bitterly icy wind battered them all as hail and snow continued to pound on them.

"Here, this might help keep the snow off them." Margaret said, putting up an umbrella which Hawong held in position over the two fallen Digidestined, looking at them in shock, whatever this was it couldn't be good.

"Tai, the bolt's widening!" Agumon exclaimed and as one the group looked up to see that he was indeed correct, the bolt was now widening to create a large rift, black, infused with red and purple gasses, filled with crackling brilliant white lightning. And with that, the things living within it began to descend. Hundreds upon hundreds of Digimon started to descend from on high, swooping down on the Digidestined, swirling around them, boxing them in with their sheer numbers.

"Who are these guys?" Davis asked, and Gabumon pointed.

"Some of them are new, but he isn't! There's dozens of Spectremon!" he exclaimed and Matt looked up in alarm to see the powerful Digimon that had necessitated their first digivolution to Super swarming all around the area, apparently leading the hordes of other Digimon.

"Bakemon's in hats?" Yolei asked in shock as she held a shivering Ken to her protectively.

"They're not Bakemon, they're Soulmon." Armadillomon supplied.

**Soulmon: Champion level Digimon, these shy spooks may look like a cheap knock off but they're even more lethal than a Bakemon, able to take control of a person's soul and use it for its own ends**

"Tai, what do we do?" Davis asked as Hiroshi and Takashi squirmed closer to him as the Soulmon, Spectremon and the other two sorts of Digimon, all of which numbering in the hundreds formed a massive auditorium around them, trapping them in the centre of a large sphere of enemy Digimon.

"Those ones there, they're called Shademon!" Mushroomon cried, pointing to the Digimon hanging below the Spectremon.

A black formless mist with shining yellow eyes, long chains hung from the cloth like material covering where its head ought to be, and long needle like finger nails, the creature looked nearly as intimidating as Spectremon did.

**Shademon: The Ultimate form of Soulmon, these evil creatures were once the souls of Digimon, corrupted by death and the powers of darkness to serve the darkest of masters. His Screaming Shade will make you wish for death before the end.**

"And the others?" Yoh asked of the ones hanging below the Soulmon.

"They're called Spiritmon." Crabmon responded, looking at the little glowing balls of light with red eyes and a hat like Soulmon's.

**Spiritmon: A Rookie level ghost Digimon, his Ghost Grinder attack will really send your teeth chattering.**

"Why don't we attack?" Elecmon asked, and Sakura gestured to their numerous opponents.

"Because we're surrounded in case you missed that, and outnumbered at least twenty to one, and we're two Digidestined down." She scolded, and Tai looked up to the rift with his telescope.

"What do you see?" Biyomon asked, being surrounded by all these Digimon who were just standing there leering at them was making her nervous.

"Nothing yet, and it's making me nervous." Tai said, not liking being surrounded, and the lack of the ghost army attack was making him very edgy.

"We're surrounded. These creatures are not of the true digital world, there is something else about them, these things come from the Dark Area, they are abominations." Fanglongmon growled, and Ararumon nodded.

"No kidding, but why are they just standing there and not doing anything to us?" he asked nervously.

"Should we attack them?" Tentomon asked nervously, loathe to admit he was just as nervous as the new Digimon.

"Either way, the eyes have it, look!" Patamon yelled as a large vivid blue eyeball descended from the rift and Agumon made a little noise of fear, while Gatomon groaned at Patamon's pun.

"We need to go, now!" he said, but before Tai could even begin to question him, a high cackling came from the eye itself.

"What the hell is that?" Mimi demanded in revulsion as the eye descended.

"It can't be." Fanglongmon whispered as the eye fell slowly towards the earth, the cackling echoing in their ears as it did so.

"Can't be what?" Cody demanded as Armadillomon edged closer to him, as if for his own comfort rather than protection.

"Candlemon?" Sam asked worriedly, she had never seen her partner so scared before as he was now.

There was then several cracks of lightning and six swirls shot out of the rift, all of them spiralling and twirling through the air, round each other like a group of snakes as they swirled down to the surface. One swirl was made of burning red hot fire, the one next to it was a torrent of stormy blue water. A shimmering clear swirl that seemed to warp the air with heat was in the centre, matched by a shining silver and gold aura that was also heading to the ground. The final two, one was a kaleidoscope of colours, all fighting for dominance and the other was pure black with white flecks, like night given form.

"Tai, we need to go, now!" Agumon said in fear, but it was too late as the six clouds reached the ground with a thunderclap each, the high cackling from the eye making their arrival all the more scary.

The one that emerged from the multicoloured swirl came forward first, chuckling darkly. Clad in white armour, he had a black t shaped visor on his head. Swirling blue robes seemed to surround his body, stretching back into the air effortlessly. One of his arms appeared to be a lions head with a sword emitting from the mouth while the other was a lizard head shrouded in metal.

The golden and silver swirl landed next, and what emerged was another Digimon. Clad in a purple dress with a large fan like headdress behind her shoulders, the ribs of which were black while the insides were also purple. A headdress of purple and white feathers adorned her head, covering her hair. Her eyes, visible through under a black scarf that covered her forehead and her eyes were pure white, and her mouth was small and cruel. She had long spiderlike fingers, all alabaster in colour, and in one hand was clad a long spindly looking black wooden wand.

The fiery one landed next, revealing its occupant. Clad in gleaming red hot armour, tinged with black, his head was that of a serpent, with a long ponytail made of fire coming from his dark green visage. Wings made of smoke and what seemed to be molten lava emerged from his back. Well built, he had a sickle in one hand and magna bolas in the other, and he has no legs, instead having a long and coiled tail.

The next one to emerge came from the blackness itself. She had long, thin batlike wings, clawed at the tips. She had furry legs, akin to CacoDaemon's, with strong grey feet tipped with curved, lethal looking talons. Her body was clad in a dark robe, from which emerged her long thin arms covered in black fur, with long needle like silver talons tipped with red that clacked together when she moved them. Her face was that of a panther, her wicked green eyes glaring out at them, her thick and fierce fangs growling in her mouth.

The one that came from the shimmering smoke trail was the most bizarre yet. Large red bird like feet topped with black talons emerged first, moving into blue legs. A skirt of steel like white feathers surrounded his waist, before giving way to his strong red torso, his muscles black and toned. Long grasping hands emerged from arms, red in colour, were topped with more lethal black talons. A ring of dark blue feathers emitted from his back and he had two skeleton like wings, red and topped with black with glowing red orbs within them. His face was red and beaked, with red and orange jagged hair emerging from the back of his head.

The final one emerged from the tempest of water. With legs that looked like fish tails, she was wearing a long flowing aqua dress that left most of her legs uncovered, and a sting like tail emerged from her back. Her slightly greenish skin was mostly bare, with a string of shells around her chest to protect her modesty, and she had thick blocky wings like a manta rays emerging from her back. Her arms were worn with coiled seaweed, and an eel like bracelet was wrapped around each wrist. Her face looked mostly human, though her eyes were large and round and completely black, akin to a sharks. Around her neck was a necklace of jagged shark's teeth, and within her own mouth she also had jagged teeth. Two sort of antennae with glowing orbs of light hung slightly from the top of her head, which was covered in thick, flowing aqua hair, embroidered with more shells.

The cackling from the eye then reached a high note as the top of it opened and in a shaft of light, three more Digimon were revealed. All of them seemed to be stooped old women, with long beak like noses. Long thin fingernails marked their hands and their beaked noses emerged from covering black robes. Each of them had empty eye sockets, devoid of anything but a single glowing eye hovered in front of them. Wisps of blue hair hung from the head of the tallest, green from the middle and purple from the shortest and they were all leering down at the Digidestined from on high.

"Who are these guys?" Sora demanded irritably, and the leading woman with the blank eyes smirked.

"We are the Primordials. And your new gods." She stated, only for her statement to fall on deaf ears.

"Gods? Bit full of themselves aren't they?" Davis asked, but Veemon shook his head nervously, and even Fanglongmon was trying to back away.

"Not really." Veemon answered feebly and Davis looked at him worriedly, Veemon never got scared.

"Gods? Uh oh..." Izzy whispered, his brain filling in the blanks.

The lead one with the arms looked at the others, and shook his head.

"I don't believe they know how to act appropriately around their gods. Bow!" he hissed, and with a gesture the kids and their Digimon were forced into a very painful bow against their wishes.

"They're hesitant brother, it's to be expected." The water one said with a sadistic purr, enjoying the looks of pain on Joe's face as his back protested its treatment.

The leader raised his hand allowing them all to stand again, and Tai scowled.

"Gods are you? Well we can do without your sort here. Get them guys!" he ordered, but to his immense surprise none of the Digimon made any move.

"Tai, they aren't kidding, they actually are gods. Ancient gods." Agumon said, and Tai looked at him in disbelief.

"Yeah, we need to go, now." Izzy hissed, and Tai turned to face him.

"Don't we have enough problems with the Digimon not fighting, I don't need you joining in!" he scolded, but Izzy looked up at the Primordials.

"Tai, they're gods, they're ancient gods. Think about it! They're probably the ones who defeated the original pantheon, the ones who gave us the crests!" he exclaimed and the Primordials all laughed.

"Hmm, we knew you weren't unintelligent. Indeed we are little child. Allow us to introduce ourselves, in order of appearance we have Chaosmon, Anankemon, Erebumon, Nyxmon, Chronomon and finally me, Thalassamon! My three nieces up there are the Fates, Atroposmon, Lacheismon and Clothomon!" the water deity said.

"Matt, these are actually are gods, the Primordials, our most ancient forms of worship. These are the ones who replaced the pantheon you embody, Izzy's right! And the Fates control past, present and future, trust me, we don't want to be fighting them!" he said urgently, and Matt turned to Tai.

"Tai, they're terrified, we need to go, now!" he urged, but Tai shook his head.

"We outnumber them Matt, we can take them." He said, making Anankemon throw her head back and laugh.

"Foolish little human, you dare defy your deities? We are your new gods, you will bow before us and pray to us, if not, you will learn what happens when you displease us." She hissed malevolently, and Tai grinned.

"Really? Will woe betide me? A plague of some sort? Please, you guys are a joke." He challenged, to the groans of the others.

"Tai, normally I'd agree with you but the Digimon are scared, we can't fight them, besides we need to get Kari and Ken out of here!" Davis ground out, but Tai shook his head.

"No, we need to stop these guys. Agumon? Time to face your fears buddy, we can deal with these guys. Together right?" he asked, and Agumon's uncertainty vanished, and he smiled.

"Course we can partner." He replied, and Gabumon nodded.

"They're only cloaked in mystique, we can tackle them!" he said, and the Digimon all nodded at each other and leapt at the Primordials, who were all laughing.

"Tai, call them back!" Matt urged, but Tai waved him off, confident in their side's chances.

"I have a bad feeling about this." TK moaned.

"Foolish little non-believers." Nyxmon growled as the Digimon sprang into action.

"Agumon super digivolve to...WarlordGreymon!"

"Gabumon super digivolve to...SaberGarurumon!"

"Biyomon super digivolve to...SapphirePhoenixmon!"

"Tentomon super digivolve to...GoliathKabuterimon!"

"Palmon super digivolve to...QueenLillymon!"

"Gomamon super digivolve to...WarPlesiomon!"

"Patamon super digivolve to...MagnaSeraphimon!"

"Gatomon super digivolve to...MagnaAngewomon!"

"Veemon super digivolve to...ColossusVeemon!"

"Wormmon super digivolve to...Tarantulamon!"

"Armadillomon super digivolve to...Genghismon!"

"Hawkmon super digivolve to...Valhallamon!"

"Tsukimon super digivolve to...Teradramon!"

"Candlemon super digivolve to...VulcanMeramon!"

"Betamon super digivolve to...GigaSeadramon!"

"Lopmon super digivolve to...Kerubielmon!"

However the Eighteen's Digimon weren't the only ones to leap into battle.

"Ararumon digivolve to...Arbormon!"

"Bearmon digivolve to...Grizzmon!"

"Psychemon digivolve to...Moosemon!"

"Elecmon digivolve to...Thundermon!"

"Mushroomon digivolve to...Woodmon!"

"Muchomon digivolve to...Kokatrimon!"

"Chuumon digivolve to...Sukamon!"

"BlackAgumon digivolve to...DarkTyrannomon!"

"Crabmon digivolve to...Coelamon!"

"Crank it up guys, we can help take down these arrogant jerks!" Takashi encouraged.

"Arbormon digivolve to...Petaldramon!"

"Grizzmon digivolve to...Pandamon!"

"Moosemon digivolve to...Mammothmon!"

"Thundermon digivolve to...Mamemon!"

"Woodmon digivolve to...Cherrymon!"

"Kokatrimon digivolve to...Hippogriffmon!"

"Sukamon digivolve to...Garbagemon!"

"DarkTyrannomon digivolve to...MetalTyrannomon!"

"Coelamon digivolve to...Whamon!"

With the twenty five Digimon leaping at the Primordials, Sora had to admit she felt a little better, but this was still foolhardy, if these guys were indeed the ones who had defeated the old gods, they weren't going to be pushovers.

"You've got information on them?" Hawong asked Izzy, who had been typing away at his laptop.

**Chaosmon: The leader of the Primordials and the most known in the pantheon, the God of Chaos wields two mighty weapons, the Bantyo Blade and the Dark Prominance, however his End Paradox can bring any life clashing to an end if he so desires**

**Anankemon: The Goddess of Destiny, she is the mother to the Fates and has all their powers and more. Her wand is the source of her power, but her attack is little used and virtually unknown.**

**Erebumon: The God of Hell, this Digimon used to decide the punishments of those who had sinned. His Tartarus Sickle sends any soul screaming to his domain, where they are subjected to torture at his hands for the rest of eternity**

**Nyxmon: The Goddess of Night, this powerful Digimon takes her power from the darkness, and her Midnight Slash and her Nightmare Ripper attacks make her a true terror of the sundown**

**Chronomon: The God of Time, he is able to bend any and all things to his will with the use of time. The most powerful of the group, he wields the Vanishing Touch, able to eradicate all trace of a Digimon, provided his Chrono Flare and Chrono Corona don't do it first**

**Thalassamon: The Goddess of the Sea, she commands the elements, wielding the Tempest Maelstrom to wash her enemies clean away**

**The Fates: Atroposmon, Clothomon and Lacheismon, they wield the power of Past, Present and Future Strikes, and Past, Present and Future Claws respectively, though they can join together to form the Storm of Fate**

Chronomon laughed as the Digimon attacked, and simply raised a hand in a stop gesture, and abruptly all of the Digimon came to a stop.

"Silly children to defy your gods. Now, bow before us, or suffer!" Chaosmon threatened angrily.

"We won't bow to you." Rana said boldly, and Chronomon turned to Chaosmon, looking at him with a bored expression.

"Shall we show them the price of defiance?" he asked, time still frozen around his enemies and trapping them, despite the tirade of abuse being thrown at them.

Chaosmon nodded.

"I think so brother dear. We are your gods, and you will obey us. If not, there are consequences. Now, which one?" he asked musingly, looking at the trapped and angry Digimon.

"Guys, get free, you can do it!" Tai yelled but Matt was looking on worriedly, they couldn't do it at all, time around them was frozen, they were frozen in place and unable to break free, and the Primordials were looking pissed. Maybe they were gods.

"Tai, we need to get out of here." He said, but Tai, despite not looking as confident as he had done a minute ago, shook his head.

"We can handle them, don't worry." He said.

"Tai, they can't move!" Cody yelled as Chronomon glared at them.

"WarlordGreymon I think. Tai needs to learn wisdom and humility." He hissed, and with a flick of his finger Chronomon released WarlordGreymon. He charged forward, before coming to an awkward stop, preparing himself to fight Chaosmon.

"You are brave boy, but stupid. Now, feel the wrath of the gods!" Chaosmon thundered, before Anankemon placed a hand on his arm.

"I don't think so. I'll play with this one." She said, strolling to the front.

Chronomon and the others grinned, releasing the other Digimon, who hung back nervously.

"Tai, we need to go! Look at them, they aren't concerned about how outnumbered they are, this is a trap!" Matt hissed, but Tai ignored him as he looked at WarlordGreymon.

"Don't worry Tai, if they don't want to fight, I'll fight them all myself." He vowed, and Anankemon laughed.

"You little fool. I am a god. You have no chance against me." She purred, but WarlordGreymon prepared himself anyway.

Laughing, she saluted him with her wand, and beckoned him to attack.

"Conquering Fires!"

The attack blazed towards her, but before it even got halfway, she simply raised a finger and it petered out into nothing, leaving only hot air in its place.

"Impossible." Michael gasped, and Fanglongmon roared in alarm.

"Get out of here now!" he yelled in desperation, and the new kids started whistling for their Ultimate levels while Anankemon, laughing mockingly, stood still and raised her wand.

"Tai, they're too strong!" Sora cried as SapphirePhoenixmon got ready to shoot into the air.

"WarlordGreymon, pull back!" Tai yelled finally seeing sense as the younger Digidestined started to flee, followed by Fanglongmon.

"Spindle of Destiny!" Anankemon said gloatingly, and a thin golden line of threat shot from her wand and attacked itself to WarlordGreymon, who looked down in bemusement, and Tai could feel himself relaxing, and the others stopping to observe.

"Is that it?" WarlordGreymon asked, and Anankemon grinned evilly.

"In and of itself, no. Sever Force!" she hissed, and her biggest and index fingers turned to gold scissors, and she then cut through the thread attached to WarlordGreymon.

Everyone was silent, focused on the exchange, not a person was moving, even dared to breathe. At first it seemed nothing had happened.

Then WarlordGreymon disintegrated into data.

He was gone. She had destroyed WarlordGreymon. Killed one of their strongest Digimon without any effort at all. Tai looked at where his partner had been, where his data was vanishing into nothing. He was gone. Agumon was gone, he'd lost his partner. Anankemon had destroyed WarlordGreymon.

All of them looked on in numb shock, he was gone, dead, just like that. WarlordGreymon was gone.

And then finally Tai's voice started to work again.

"NO!" he screamed as the Primordials began to laugh, with Chaosmon patting his sister proudly on the arm before turning his deadly gaze onto the kids and growling.

"As we said, we are your gods, and you will bow before us!"

**Poor Agumon has been destroyed! These Primordials mean business, they are not nice people believe me. And believe it or not, they are far from full strength at the moment. Tai should have listened shouldnt he?**

**But now we have truly begun, we have our villains, internal problems between the Digidestined, the new group of Digidestined is around to lend a hand and we're trying to fix things with the Sovereign, but is it too late? These new villains mean business and there are indeed threats within their own world for the kids to deal with. Things are only going to get worse from here on out as things start to spiral out of control.**

**So what will happen next? How will Tai cope with the loss of his beloved partner? What's wrong with Kari and Ken? How are there adult Digidestined? And just what do the Primordials have planned for the real world, and for the legacies of the gods they have defeated once before?**

**Only time will tell!**

**Until next time (and it will be a while) please read and review!**


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